THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 AND ITS RESTORATION 
 
 WITH PRACTICAL EXERCISES FOR 
 THE USE OF SINGERS AND TEACHERS 
 
 BY 
 
 W. WARREN SHAW 
 
 WITH INTRODUCTION BT 
 
 DAVID BISPHAM 
 
 EXPLANATORY ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PHILADELPHIA & LONDON 
 
 J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
 
 COPTBIQHT, 1914, BT J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANT 
 
 PBINTEO BT J. B. LtPPINCOTT COMPANT 
 
 AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRK88 
 
 PBILADELPHIA, U. 8. A.
 
 Music 
 Library 
 
 MT 
 
 To MY WIFE 
 EMMA SUELKE SHAW 
 
 WHOSE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE 
 IN THE ART OP SINGING HAS BEEN OF 
 INESTIMABLE VALUE TO THE AUTHOR
 
 "THE mind must be trained to the perception of beautiful sounds. 
 It must hold these sounds as ideal while practising with the voice. If a 
 person holds the right ideal steadily before his mind while properly 
 practising, repetition will cause this ideal to take dominating possession 
 of the tones, and thus shape them to itself and become incarnated with 
 them. 
 
 "The voice is capable of expressing every mental activity intel- 
 lectual and emotional. It rarely fails to reveal the lower order of feelings, 
 as physical pleasure or pain. It can also reveal the higher realms of 
 feeling love of good and truth, sympathy and spiritual perception. 
 
 "The proper study of the voice is a study of the manifestations of 
 the soul." From the Emerson School of Expression, Boston. 
 
 VOICE is THE AUDIBLE EXPRESSION OF THE SOCL 
 
 "THE best way to cultivate the voice is not to think about it. 
 Actions become regal only when they are unconscious. The voice that 
 holds us captive and lures us on, is used by its owner unconsciously. 
 Fix your mind on the thought and the voice will follow. If you fear 
 you will not be understood, you are losing the thought you are think- 
 ing about the voice. If the voice is allowed to come naturally, easily 
 and gently it will take on every tint and emotion of the Soul. The voice 
 is the sounding-board of the Soul. God made it right. If your Soul is 
 filled with Truth your voice will vibrate with love, echo with sympathy 
 and fill your hearers with the desire to do to be and to become." 
 Elbert Hubbard.
 
 PREFACE 
 
 " The Lost Vocal Art " has for its purpose the 
 restoration of the vital principle in systems or 
 methods of voice culture which formerly charac- 
 terized the Old Italian Method. The science of 
 psychology is shown to be the real science on which 
 the old school actually stood, and on which all 
 really successful schools of voice culture must 
 stand. 
 
 The principles scientifically explained as psy- 
 chological are the fundamental governing forces 
 of all artistic vocal development worthy of the 
 name. It is pointed out that the old methods, while 
 having these principles in operation, were not forti- 
 fied by the scientific explanation of the how and 
 wherefore of the matter. 
 
 The Old Masters were not aware of the scientific 
 soundness of their position. Controversialists 
 had not arisen. Empirical instruction was the 
 only kind that was recognized, or used. When 
 the attempt was made to advance new systems of 
 instruction based upon the science of physiology, 
 the teachers and singers of the old school were 
 led like lambs to the slaughter. They did not 
 resist, thinking that they might benefit themselves 
 
 7
 
 8 PREFACE 
 
 by such knowledge as was evolved from scientific 
 research. 
 
 The danger of constructive work which not only 
 took cognizance of but attempted directly to gov- 
 ern the physical parts involved, did not at first 
 appear. It took time to show the extent of the 
 evil. The glamour of the newly acquired knowl- 
 edge obtained through analysis, together with the 
 undoubted truth of the things that were said con- 
 cerning the physiological phenomena, served to 
 hoodwink the representatives of the true school. 
 They themselves became willing victims of the 
 erroneous doctrines. They thought they were to 
 become wiser men more proficient in their art 
 than ever, by the knowledge of these great dis- 
 coveries. 
 
 Thus the evil had its origin, and the discovery of 
 the laryngoscope aided and abetted the threatened 
 downfall of correct principles or their abandon- 
 ment. Almost unwittingly the dependence upon 
 the right principles gave place to dependence upon 
 wrong principles. 
 
 What is known as the lost vocal art is shown to 
 be nothing more nor less than the result of the loss 
 or change of constructive principles which were for- 
 merly in use, and the resurrection of this lost art 
 must come from the restoration of that true vital
 
 PREFACE 9 
 
 principle made manifest in empirical instruction. 
 
 The ability of the master is determined by his 
 ability not only to hear and judge correctly the 
 voice of his pupils, but also to make them hear and 
 correctly judge their own voices, and his skill must 
 be further shown in the use of devices for the pro- 
 motion of desired ends. 
 
 The physical activity which may be recom- 
 mended as favorable means of development must 
 not be confounded with the physiological prin- 
 ciple. One is the assisting factor, and is general 
 in principle in recognition of the fact that physi- 
 cal elasticity renders the parts more capable of 
 ready response to the demand of the will, directed 
 toward the effect desired. The imagination and 
 idealization of tone is placed before the action, this 
 being the actual initiative. 
 
 This means concentrating the mind on tone de- 
 sired and witting the effect, the process being in a 
 measure subconscious and aided by physical activ- 
 ity. The other, the physiological principle, is the 
 fixing of the mind upon and willing the specific 
 activity of the process, or any part of it. 
 
 Although many attacks have been made upon 
 scientific voice culture based upon physiology, 
 due to the unfavorable results experienced by 
 artists who have tried to proceed along these lines,
 
 10 PREFACE 
 
 nothing of a scientific nature has been offered 
 to show that the statements concerning the physi- 
 cal facts are incorrect. The truth of the matter is 
 that analytically the physiologists are for the most 
 part correct. Their sore and grievous error is in 
 the synthesis, not in the analysis, of voice. Up 
 to the present time we have had in refutation merely 
 the history of the rejection of scientific voice cul- 
 ture by artists of experience. They know that 
 physiological scientific voice consideration in sing- 
 ing or method in teaching is practically not only 
 of little use, but is generally destructive rather than 
 constructive in the practical working-out. 
 
 The empirical instruction of the old school is 
 now shown to have a firm scientific foundation on 
 which to stand. The Old Masters builded better 
 than they knew, but were not knowingly or wit- 
 tingly supported by scientific truth. 
 
 The Moderns who are not familiar with the 
 truth evolved from what we may term a latter-day 
 science owing to its comparatively recent de- 
 velopment should acquaint themselves with its 
 teachings. 
 
 They will doubtless then realize that Apollo may 
 now stand on the immortal pedestal designed by 
 Nature the science of psychology. 
 
 THE AUTHOR.
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 IT is with great pleasure that I yield to the re- 
 quest of the author to write an introduction to his 
 work, as I am entirely in sympathy with all he has 
 to say concerning the importance of the psycho- 
 logical phase of the art of singing, as well as of the 
 necessity for absolute mastery of the physical ma- 
 chinery by means of which we actually do sing. 
 It is unnecessary for a man to know the names 
 of the muscles of his legs and arms in order to be 
 an athlete, but he must know how to use them to 
 the best advantage. He must be taught by some 
 one of experience in athletics how to get the best 
 results with the least strain; and so it is with a 
 singer. All birds are taught by their elders their 
 language of song, as children are taught to speak, 
 without specific instruction, in either case, in the 
 mechanism of either song or speech. 
 
 Song, with human beings, is an extra sense ; it is 
 at least, an elaboration of the attribute of speech, 
 of the gift of music, and of the sense of hearing, 
 a combination of the three so intricate and so inti- 
 
 11
 
 12 INTRODUCTION 
 
 mate that it is no wonder that various modes of 
 training have been resorted to in leading the armies 
 of would-be singers, most of whom are totally un- 
 fitted for the task they find confronting them. 
 
 The successful singer is indeed a shining ex- 
 ample of the theory of the survival of the fittest; 
 and the wise master is one among ten thousand. 
 These know, beyond all peradventure, that only 
 those who can sing who have naturally the com- 
 bination of the many qualities that make a singer 
 should be permitted to study with a view to going 
 before the public ; and that very careful training 
 of the voice in song and speech, with the best singers 
 as models, and the watchful, conservative master 
 as mentor, is absolutely indispensable to success. 
 
 Let the pupil look into the physiology of the 
 throat if he so desires, but let him not think that 
 this knowledge will enable him to sing, any more 
 than that a runner should win a race because of 
 his knowledge of the mechanism of his legs. The 
 latter wins because he can run faster than his com- 
 petitors, and knows better how to use his legs for 
 having trained them : and so it is with the singer. 
 The voice and general musical ability must be of 
 more than average excellence, and must be care- 
 fully trained if he would win in the severe compe-
 
 INTRODUCTION 13 
 
 tition of to-day ; and also it is imperative that the 
 wise master guard the special sense that makes a 
 singer, against the general lack of sense that so 
 often mars him. Though the science of psychol- 
 ogy may now be shown to be the basis of the work 
 of the old Italian masters, I doubt if they would 
 have called their mode of teaching " psychologi- 
 cal," but it is well now so to distinguish it from 
 the physiological method which is so productive 
 of systems palpably erroneous, taught too often by 
 those, forsooth, who cannot sing! The writer 
 was a pupil of the elder Lamperti, and of Vannu- 
 cini direct descendants of the great masters of 
 their Italian past also of Shakespeare, Lam- 
 perti's principal English advocate, a man of fine 
 intelligence, and of greater muscianship and wider 
 experience before the public than most teachers 
 among his contemporaries. 
 
 The secret of the so-called lost art of singing he 
 sought in vain among the mazes of physiological 
 science, and never did he place much reliance upon 
 these puzzling questions. He tried to show his 
 pupils not only how to master the physical by close 
 attention to its obvious demands, but how to guide 
 all so as to bring about the purest and most artistic 
 vocal results by means of the exercise of that higher
 
 14 INTRODUCTION 
 
 mental quality which our author denominates the 
 psychological principle. 
 
 Shakespeare seldom trained pupils for the stage ; 
 he taught them to sing. If they succeeded in ora- 
 torio, concert, or opera, it was because they knew 
 how to sing, not because they were foisted upon the 
 public and happened to succeed. He was heart 
 and soul with the older Italians in discountenan- 
 cing mediocrity. The lynx ears of Lamperti and 
 of Shakespeare would not could not allow what 
 they considered wrong in note or phrase, or ulti- 
 mate inner sense to pass unchallenged. 
 
 Reliance upon the principles of physiology to 
 correct physiological defects is, of course, essen- 
 tial; but the art of song is mental, and so is 
 psychological in its higher development. When 
 the body is in subjection to the mind, the will 
 works its way with the world, and the spirit will 
 hold sway over all things inanimate. By bringing 
 to bear upon it the suavity of Italian vocal art, 
 even the majestic roughness of the German tongue 
 may be toned down without loss of strength and 
 with positive gain of beauty. So obvious was this, 
 some years ago, when Madame Cosima Wagner 
 visited Covent Garden Opera, in London, that, 
 after hearing a performance of her husband's
 
 INTRODUCTION 15 
 
 " Lohengrin," sung by Mcsdames Nordica and 
 Schumann-Heink, the brothers Jean and Edouard 
 de Reszke, and the writer, she exclaimed, " I have 
 to-night, for the first time in my life, heard Wagner 
 sung from a melodious standpoint ! " (** vom Stand- 
 punkt melodieux") And why was that? It may 
 safely be said that it was because the artists named 
 had all studied the art of singing so well, from such 
 an artistic standpoint, that even the difficulties 
 o'f Wagner became comparatively easy to them, 
 and the psychology of their complex roles stood out 
 triumphant over the material means of expression 
 which so often prove a hindrance to the enjoyment 
 of modern works. Let none suppose that such re- 
 sults, or such praise as Madame Wagner gave us, 
 were to be obtained without long and arduous 
 physical training; but let all be made aware that 
 behind this must always be the extra, inner sense ; 
 the strong psychological undercurrent of the all- 
 informing mind; for as long as the physical ob- 
 trudes itself, the manifestation of the higher 
 quality will be hindered. 
 
 What is it that makes one violin better than 
 another? or, mayhap, superlatively good? The 
 mind of its maker. What is it makes violin-playing 
 good, bad, or indifferent, despite the excellence of
 
 16 INTRODUCTION 
 
 the instrument? The mind of the performer. In 
 the days when artists could not buy tubes of paint 
 ready-made, but were obliged to mingle their own 
 pigments to obtain the desired shades, the great 
 Sir Joshua Reynolds, renowned for the richness of 
 his tones, was asked by an admiring junior aspirant 
 to his honors, " Sir Joshua, what do you mix your 
 colors with?" to which, like a flash, came the re- 
 joinder from behind the great horn-rimmed spec- 
 tacles, " With brains, sir, with brains." 
 
 But " who shall ascend into the hill of the 
 Lord? " Who is there to make known to all the 
 world the fact that Art, though long, is enduring ; 
 and to bring home to the unthinking the homily 
 that Life is short and must be well used? To the 
 merely physical and sensual, Art is nothing, and 
 Life has no meaning. To the spiritual and the 
 psychical, Art is of the things that bring the under- 
 standing o'f the possibility of eternal Life to the 
 human race. Let not, then, the high gift of song 
 be abused, but nurtured as coming to mortals, as 
 it does, from a higher plane than is now recognized 
 by those who would make of it merely a vehicle for 
 sensuous enjoyment or for barter and trade. 
 
 NOVEMBER, 1913. DAVID BISPHAM.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 Part I 
 PRINCIPLES AND METHODS 21 
 
 THE PRESENT VOCAL SITUATION 25 
 
 The difficulties of the beginner Necessary qualifica- 
 tions for a singer The languages The " Italian 
 Method " The charlatan vocal teacher and singing 
 coach The inefficiency of present day systems The 
 standardization of voice culture. 
 
 THE RELATION OF PHYSIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY TO VOCAL 
 
 ART 46 
 
 The observation of phenomena What physiology 
 proves Psychological influences Memory, under- 
 standing, will power and vital force The value of 
 the old school Empirical instruction Meaning of 
 well-known precepts Psychology, the basis of the 
 truly scientific school of voice culture Physiology, 
 the basis of the scientific school as generally under- 
 stood. 
 
 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL VIEWS OP VOCAL 
 TRAINING 59 
 
 Two points of view Psychology as applied to the art 
 of singing The hearing of one's own voice Ideal- 
 ism, mental conception, imagination and judgment 
 of sounds produced Discussion of psychology as 
 the true basic principle Criticism of the singing of 
 to-day Causes of failure Scientific principle of the 
 old school Individuality of voices The voice the 
 vehicle of expression The crying evil of the day 
 
 17
 
 18 CONTENTS 
 
 Control of voice vs. control of vocal mechanism Dis- 
 tinction and diiference between physical and physio- 
 logical consideration Unique position of the voice 
 considered as a musical instrument The synthesis 
 and analysis of voice The laryngoscope, opinion of 
 scientists regarding its influence. 
 
 ERE ATHINfi AND BREATH. CONTROL 85 
 
 Theoretical and practical Deduction of scientists 
 Physical parts involved The important things for 
 the consideration of the student Automatic and 
 direct breath control The correct mode of procedure 
 The open throat Registers "Singing on the 
 breath" The influence of correct carriage Fallac- 
 ious doctrines. 
 
 VOICE PLACING 107 
 
 True meaning of General misapprehension of 
 Mechanical guidance Experience of the average 
 student Skill in singing The natural law of expres- 
 sion versus mechanical guidance The importance 
 of the first year of study Voice placing coincident 
 with the art of singing Causes of rigidity Fallacy 
 of the present theory The wrong mental attitude 
 
 " Covering " Domination of the emotional instinct 
 Possibility of artistic success despite mechanical 
 hindrance General futility of mechanical methods 
 Physical culture Correct mental attitude and 
 proper physical condition Common errors Com- 
 pelling the phenomena of voice Direct attention to 
 the management of physical parts involved Con- 
 sideration of registers Views of Tosi and Mancini 
 Garcia and the laryngoscope. 
 
 THE RESURRECTION OF THE LOST VOCAL ART 129 
 
 General supposition of loss Physiological analysis 
 inadequate No written records of actual principles
 
 CONTENTS 19 
 
 followed by old masters Decline of the old art 
 coincidental with scientific analysis The true living 
 principle Corroborative value of sciences Causes 
 of departure from empirical system Evidence of 
 variableness in method but not in principle of the old 
 school Great singers and teachers of the Seventeenth 
 century Variety in style Instruction by imitation 
 The right and wrong principle The fundamental 
 principle of the old school explained Corrobora- 
 tion Subjective and objective study The correct 
 fundamental principle The various schools of the 
 Seventeenth century Famous singers of that time. 
 
 Part II 
 
 THE SYNTHESIS OF VOICE PRODUCTION 157 
 
 General observation in practice Voice culture The 
 relation of the singing and speaking Singing as an 
 art of self expression Terminology: sing on the 
 breath, open the throat, sing the tone forward, sup- 
 port the tone Pronunciation and enunciation 
 Registers Ear training, subjective and objective. 
 
 THE PROVINCE OF THE VOICE SPECIALIST 174 
 
 Correct physical activities as influencing quality and 
 quantity Views of Mancini The accomplishment of 
 breath control Fallacious doctrine of control at the 
 diaphragm Misuse of physiological facts Breath- 
 ing methods of Jean de Reszke and Pol. Plancon 
 Inferior costal breathing. 
 
 PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHERS AND SINGERS. 187 
 The singer's position Facial distortions Changes of 
 registers The forward tone Devices for promoting 
 correct condition Vowels and tone color Open and 
 closed tones focussing Enunciation and pronuncia- 
 tion Explanation of old Italian Methods The
 
 20 CONTENTS 
 
 principle used Nasal tone and nasal resonance 
 The smiling mouth Freedom of neck and head 
 Management of voice vs. management of mechanism 
 Forcing the voice Relaxation, rigidity and flexi- 
 ble firmness The " stroke of the glottis " necessary- 
 muscular tension The " messa di voce " Superfluous 
 vocal effort Correct voice placing, how best accom- 
 plished The use of vocal exercises How to sing 
 them. 
 
 EXERCISES 208
 
 PART I
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 PRINCIPLES AND METHODS 
 
 IN preparing a treatise on the subject of voice 
 culture, which may serve as a guide and be of prac- 
 tical aid to vocal teachers and singers in developing 
 the voice in a natural normal way, the fact has 
 been taken into consideration that, because of 
 the immense variety of opinions and views regard- 
 ing the best means or methods, it will be necessary 
 to treat the subject with care, proceeding along 
 the broadest lines compatible with strict adherence 
 to known scientific truth. 
 
 The fundamental principles involved are pointed 
 out with due recognition of the laws of nature, 
 which must always be observed in the process of 
 natural normal vocal development; and for the 
 purpose of counteracting some of the most flagrant 
 violations of these laws, as shown in certain prin- 
 ciples and doctrines which are persistently promul- 
 gated with such baneful effects. 
 
 21
 
 22 THE LOST VOCAl ART 
 
 As a matter of expediency, it is desirable to em- 
 phasize the important truth that vocal methods 
 are, and should be, considered only as a means to 
 an end, and that end, the acquiring of skill in 
 singing. This involves not only vocal development, 
 the control of poise and power in the management 
 of the voice, but intelligent and comprehensive 
 interpretation. 
 
 Strictly speaking, there is a different general 
 method in the hands of every teacher, which method 
 represents the most favored doctrines and means 
 of procedure known to that teacher. 
 
 It represents that which in the judgment of each 
 teacher is best, of the sum total of his experience. 
 
 Different specific methods as modifications of 
 general method are often employed in different 
 cases under observation. Indeed, it is often found 
 that radical changes in method are not only desir- 
 able but absolutely necessary to meet the require- 
 ments of the various mental and physical condi- 
 tions of the individual. Arbitrary methods are like 
 ready-made garments they do not fit many people 
 at all, and as a rule fit poorly at best. It is suffi- 
 cient to say that any method facilitating the work
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 23 
 
 of overcoming defects and tending toward bringing 
 about ideal conditions is good so long as it accom- 
 plishes that purpose. What is wanted by the vocal 
 world, however, is definite knowledge "from which 
 reliable synthetic methods may be evolved. 
 
 " What kind of knowledge is worth the most ? " 
 asks Herbert Spencer in his work on education. 
 He answers the query in one word, " Science." 
 And what is science ? Science is knowledge of facts 
 coordinately arranged and systematized; and 
 the object of science is knowledge. As in science 
 the object is knowledge, so in art the object is 
 works. 
 
 In art, knowledge of truth is the means to an 
 end ; in science, truth is the end. Hence the abso- 
 lute dependence of the best art upon science. 
 
 Art without scientific knowledge is constantly 
 in danger of degenerating into artificiality, and 
 there is a vast difference between these two, 
 although they are often confounded. 
 
 The vocal world undoubtedly owes much that is 
 good to the study and research of the true scien- 
 tists ; but to those scientists chiefly physiologists 
 and their followers, who have theorized and
 
 24 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 worked from false premises, it owes much that is 
 evil. 
 
 It is mainly in the hope of further separating 
 the wheat from the chaff in vocal training, par- 
 ticularly in its relation to the art of singing, 
 that this work has been undertaken. 
 
 Such a course necessarily involves the consid- 
 eration of the psychological phases of the subject, 
 and the pointing out of the proper physiological 
 considerations which are at the present time so 
 misunderstood. 
 
 The analysis of vocal phenomena has already 
 been successfully undertaken, so that a fairly cor- 
 rect criticism of nearly all defects and shortcom- 
 ings common to the singing voice is available. 
 
 Synthetically or constructively, however, there 
 remains much that is vague, indefinite, and mis- 
 leading in the systems in general use. 
 
 Important differences of opinion regarding 
 methods of training now exist, whereas, if the 
 fundamental truth were well known, such differ- 
 ences could not exist. 
 
 Minor differences of opinion there will always 
 be, but this should represent nothing more than
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 25 
 
 a healthy and legitimate variety of individual taste 
 regarding the most desirable and best in all things 
 pertaining to the art of singing. The fundamental 
 principles, however, are inviolable. 
 
 THE PRESENT VOCAL SITUATION 
 
 IN these days of general as well as of special 
 interest in matters vocal, the progress of events 
 pointing toward unanimity of opinion regarding 
 the correct principles to be applied in the develop- 
 ment of the singing voice is problematical. 
 
 The crystallization of ideas into something tan- 
 gible and concrete in what is generally known as 
 vocal method has not progressed as rapidly as 
 might be supposed in the light of scientific investi- 
 gation and supposedly logical conclusions arising 
 therefrom. 
 
 This is deplorable, for the reason that so many 
 thousands of students of singing are spending much 
 money and valuable time in seeking something 
 which seems to become in the course of pursuit a 
 veritable will-o'-the-wisp. 
 
 This is true of those who are studying seriously 
 with the purpose of preparing themselves for a
 
 26 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 professional career, as well as of those who are 
 studying for the purpose of acquiring the art of 
 singing as an accomplishment whereby they may 
 entertain their friends and themselves. 
 
 To those who have set out to make singing their 
 chief occupation and interest, it is, of course, of 
 vital importance that their studies should be 
 directed along the lines of least resistance, pointing 
 to as rapid progress as is compatible with sound 
 vocal development. 
 
 The chief difficulty confronting 4 almost every 
 aspirant for vocal honors is encountered at the 
 very outset. 
 
 In most cases, the problem of voice management 
 becomes at once the most difficult to solve. The 
 acquiring of correct tonal poise and adequate vocal 
 technique is the chief obstacle to the aspiring vocal 
 artist throughout his preparatory course, and more 
 often than otherwise continues to be the chief 
 cause of whatever degree of embarrassment there 
 may be throughout a more or less successful career. 
 
 Some authority with a love for epigrammatic 
 expression has set the idea in motion among lay- 
 men that " singers are born, not made." No
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 27 
 
 sweeping assertion was ever made that was more 
 subversive of the truth. Instead, singers are made, 
 not born. It is just as true to say that doctors, 
 lawyers, and clergymen are born, not made. 
 
 It is undoubtedly true that some are born with 
 special talent for singing, and those who possess 
 a marked talent are more easily trained and devel- 
 oped than those having a lesser degree off musical 
 talent and physical adaptability, providing that 
 they have ambition to become vocal artists; but it 
 is a fact that a great number of successful vocalists 
 were not, or at least did not seem to be, particularly 
 gifted originally as to quantity, quality, or range of 
 voice. Their success has been due to persistent, un- 
 tiring effort to succeed in their chosen profession. 
 
 These successes are practical examples of what 
 faithful, unswerving devotion to a cause, or, in 
 other words, fixedness of purpose, can accomplish. 
 
 It is a verification of the words of Owen Mere- 
 dith : " The man who seeks one thing in life, and 
 but one, may hope to achieve it before life is done ; 
 but he who seeks all things wherever he goes, but 
 reaps from the hopes which around him he sows, a 
 harvest of bitter regrets."
 
 28 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 Lack of concentration and consecration to a 
 chosen profession or calling is the chief cause of 
 failure in almost every walk of life. The various 
 distractions which interfere with the accomplish- 
 ment of the aims and purposes of each pilgrim on 
 life's journey, and which are allowed to creep in, 
 vitiating the vital forces of mental and physical 
 progress, are factors which can be held accountable 
 for many failures. This is true, of course, in the 
 vocal as in all other spheres of life. 
 
 Special fitness for any particular field of en- 
 deavor should always be a matter of prime consid- 
 eration as a matter of course. 
 
 The person who elects to prepare for a vocal 
 career should first be sure of sufficient musical 
 talent and natural voice to warrant the expenditure 
 of time, money, and effort necessary to an event- 
 ually successful outcome. 
 
 When these considerations have been given due 
 weight, and the person has decided to embark upon 
 this particular voyage, the thing to be considered 
 of equal importance to the necessary vocal develop- 
 ment is the acquiring of a broad musical education, 
 which many singers lack.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 29 
 
 Next comes the language the mother tongue 
 first. Unless the cultivation from childhood has 
 been exceptional, the candidate will be surprised 
 at his lack o'f a correct understanding of enuncia- 
 tion and pronunciation. 
 
 The Italian, French, and German languages 
 should then be taken up, each with a native teacher, 
 if possible. The work being well laid out and regu- 
 lated, proceed with the determination to win. Will 
 power directed mainly toward the cultivation of 
 patience and endurance must then be depended 
 upon to record success. 
 
 Regarding the development of the singing voice, 
 it is certainly true that " a little knowledge is a 
 dangerous thing." That correct fundamental 
 principles are little understood is a fact too well 
 known to require any discussion. That pseudo- 
 scientific methods and individual egotistical meth- 
 ods abound in our great cities, systematically de- 
 feating their own ostensible purpose, is an equally 
 well-known fact. Incidentally, the so-called 
 " Italian Method " is at once the most abused and 
 misunderstood slogan of them all. In the voice 
 problems, the field is especially open and adapted
 
 30 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 to the operations of the charlatan. This fact has 
 long been known to the capable and conservative 
 teachers who have had occasion to listen to the 
 pitiable vocal efforts of victims of false doctrines 
 and unspeakably bad methods, who have come to 
 them for relief. Singularly enough, many such 
 cases have been students who have been trained 
 by singers of more or less ability and of some 
 recognition as concert or opera singers. Teachers 
 of this variety oftentimes depend upon their illus- 
 trations and the pupils' powers of imitation for 
 success. They do not always know the causes of 
 correct vocal form. Others have teen pupils o'f 
 musicians of well-known ability as conductors, 
 organists, and pianists. Many of these teachers 
 believe that there is nothing in particular to be 
 known about the voice, that it is quite sufficient to 
 be a musician, and that they are as well able to 
 teach the art of singing as any one else. The law 
 supports them in this belief by placing no restric- 
 tion upon their operations and depredations. 
 
 Let us consider the status quo of the members of 
 the vocal profession as compared with that of the 
 legal and medical professions.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 31 
 
 Before a man is privileged to practise as a doc- 
 tor or a lawyer, he must know something about his 
 subject theoretically, at least. In the case of 
 the physician, he must know something practically 
 as well, and this condition is assured beyond a 
 reasonable doubt before he receives his diploma 
 and license as a practitioner. 
 
 To be sure, quack doctors and pettifogger law- 
 yers are not anomalies, but in every case they must 
 know more about their profession than the vocal 
 teacher ; for the vocal teacher is required to know 
 absolutely nothing of his subject. The vocal 
 teacher is a free lance, and is too often a musician 
 who finds that he can make more money by teaching 
 the voice than he can in any other way. The 
 physical conditions are such as to render him 
 immune from responsibility in the results of his 
 efforts ; likewise, such as to render judgment off his 
 ability by the prospective pupil extremely difficult. 
 
 The man who would attempt to teach the piano, 
 pipe organ, violin, or any other instrument, with- 
 out knowing how to perform upon that instrument, 
 is an unknown quantity, for obvious reasons. No- 
 body would become the pupil of such a teacher;
 
 32 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 and if he did, his friends would be justified in plac- 
 ing him under restraint pending an examination as 
 to his sanity. Not so the vocal student, and the 
 reasons are equally obvious. Many of these in 
 fact, most of them can sing a song, after a 
 fashion, without being taught. Natural musical 
 instinct keeps, them in tune, and the voice moves to 
 some extent automatically, as was intended by 
 Nature. ( Contemplation o'f this fact, by the way, 
 is a* powerful suggestion indicative of the correct 
 initiative in vocal training.) Consequently, all 
 that the student thinks he requires is criticism, and 
 he will do the rest. The teacher has merely to lis- 
 ten, criticise, and suggest improvements, accord- 
 ing to his judgment, from effects produced by the 
 pupil. Now, if the teacher who is a musician, even 
 providing- that he realizes that he doesn't know 
 much' about the voice, would be content to officiate 
 only as a listener and critic, the result would seldom 
 be disastrous. The success of the pupil would 
 depend upon the natural freedom of the voice in 
 the necessary range of song, and his purely musi- 
 cal advancement, truly enough, should be naturally 
 assisted by the musical suggestions of the teacher.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 33 
 
 Such a teacher of singing should be known as a 
 coach, and the average reputable coach has nothing 
 to say about the vocal mechanism, nor does he 
 attempt in any way to train the voice. The great 
 evil is wrought by the inexperienced vocal teacher, 
 who knows nothing about the voice psychologically 
 nor physiologically, and has no skill in the use o'f 
 devices for correcting faults. He pretends, how- 
 ever, to know, and frequently experiments with 
 some particular hobby which he believes to be the 
 best means of vocal development. Perhaps he has 
 gleaned a smattering of knowledge from the perusal 
 of some book, or from the ideas expressed by others 
 in conversation ; at any rate, he is at liberty to go 
 ahead and assert himself, like Gilbert and Sulli- 
 van's " lady who never had danced, but she'd rather 
 like to try." Let us consider for a moment the posi- 
 tion of the pupil who is so often the dupe or victim. 
 
 This inoffensive person is wandering about un- 
 decided as to the selection of a teacher. He has 
 heard that So-and-so is good, so he will try him. 
 Forthwith he commences lessons. If the master 
 is not a competent teacher of the voice, the throat 
 of the student may gradually develop a stiff con-
 
 34 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 dition under exercises, the range of which is too 
 great for the voice, or from following out some 
 instruction of the teacher as to a mode of produc- 
 tion which is at variance with the laws of Nature. 
 The master does not know, and it is not reasonable 
 to suppose that the pupil will know, how to over- 
 come the difficulty, at the end of his course of 
 lessons. 
 
 Since singing is more psychological than physio- 
 logical, and instruction in singing should be more 
 psychological than physiological, it is a good thing 
 for a singer, and a most necessary thing for a. 
 teacher, to understand the psychological phases 
 of the subject. It is undoubtedly true that the 
 mental attitude of the singer should be directed 
 toward expressive utterance, rather than toward a 
 consideration of the operation of the muscles in- 
 volved in tone production. 
 
 Furthermore, there is great danger in attempt- 
 ing to develop the singing powers along physiologi- 
 cal lines, especially if the attention o'f the student 
 is directed separately to the various parts during 
 respiration and phonation. 
 
 Coordination of the muscles can be depended
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 35 
 
 upon under properly-directed thought. The psy- 
 chological phase is the one for the singer's con- 
 sideration, as the physiological condition is the 
 important consideration for the physician or oper- 
 ating surgeon. 
 
 Experience has taught this fact to all successful 
 singers. Most of the great singers are not suffi- 
 ciently posted on the physiological side of the 
 question to argue the matter with physicians, 
 physiologists, and scientists, and are quite content 
 if they can please the public, keep their voices in 
 good condition, and command their prices for ap- 
 pearances. This in itself does not argue that 
 ignorance o'f the physiological side of the subject is 
 a necessary condition of mind for the successful 
 singer. I must, however, confess that circumstan- 
 tial evidence in the cases that have come under my 
 observation would point to the conclusion that 
 those who know most about the voice physiologi- 
 cally sing the worst; while most of the learned 
 writers who would uphold the physiological aspect 
 of voice production make either ridiculous or posi- 
 tively excruciating noises in attempting to illus- 
 trate their points. It is, however, none the less
 
 36 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 true that these same writers give valuable informa- 
 tion on the physiological side of the question, in 
 comparing singers who have come under their 
 observation. 
 
 There are a few physiological facts that are im- 
 pressed upon a singer at certain times which no 
 doubt it would profit him to understand. 
 
 If the throat aches or becomes tired, or the voice 
 becomes hoarse or brittle after singing a number 
 of songs or vocalizing even for a reasonable length 
 of time, there is a physiological condition present 
 which demands a knowledge of the specific cause 
 on the part of the vocalist. In the olden times the 
 remedy was absolute rest of the voice. This much 
 the old masters knew about the laws of Nature, and 
 they doubtless thereby saved many a singer from 
 premature vocal extinction. Modern science has 
 evolved the knowledge of certain physiological facts 
 pertaining to these and other undesirable vocal con- 
 ditions, with which, if the teacher be acquainted, 
 he can use to great advantage in his training. 
 Such knowledge properly used, may be of great 
 value in bringing about strengtji and elasticity. 
 
 The army of writers who have written according
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 37 
 
 to their lights disagree upon vital points. Scien- 
 tists and self-styled scientists have written exhaus- 
 tively. 
 
 Physiological and psychological treatises have 
 appeared, setting forth plausible doctrines which, 
 from the standpoint of the authors, would seem to 
 settle forever much-mooted questions ; but the 
 conclusions are not always convincing ! 
 
 Comparative theoretical analysis may serve some 
 purpose in clearing the atmosphere, but the prac- 
 tical application of theory must be the means of 
 determining its value to the student world. The 
 field of theoretical conjecture was originally pre- 
 empted by worthy and unworthy settlers, who 
 battled right royally among themselves. They 
 passed to their reward, and the cudgel was taken 
 up by enthusiastic followers who have added 
 their jots and tittles to the general fund of infor- 
 mation correct and incorrect. Many of these are 
 still alive, and are followed by a greater or smaller 
 army of adherents, who brandish their weapons 
 of attack and defence and rally 'round their re- 
 spective banners. Their universal war-cry is, 
 " Accept this faith or ye perish." The ultimatum
 
 38 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 is defiantly hurled at the constantly-growing army 
 of possible recruits and interested spectators, and 
 the battle goes on. In the vast conflict there is no 
 unanimity of opinion, and among the theoretical 
 hosts there possibly never will be. Thus the novi- 
 tiate student finds himself at the threshold of a 
 maelstrom. He plunges into the vortex, and some- 
 times he comes out alive vocally, but not always. 
 
 Keenness of perception and natural intuition 
 play a large part in the fate of each candidate, but 
 even these gifts are often powerless to save him 
 in the face of wrong guidance, and few there be 
 who drop noiselessly into the seething stream and 
 float triumphantly to their longed-for goal. Too 
 often they are overpowered by ineffective or ruin- 
 ous methods ; or, seeking to escape, are caught in 
 the whirlpool of doubt and despair. 
 
 The wrecking o'f voices by incompetent vocal 
 teachers, many of whom are sublimely unconscious 
 of the damage they are working among their trust- 
 ing victims, is going on at an alarming rate. This 
 fact is well known among skilful vocal teachers, 
 who are actually successful in their work. 
 
 In the meantime, whatever can be said or done
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 39 
 
 toward pointing out the danger signals and pilot- 
 ing the vocal mariners into the course of truth and 
 right action will no doubt be acceptable to all. 
 
 The time is ripe for the standardizing of voice 
 culture. The long-suffering musical public should 
 be protected alike from charlatans and the bliss- 
 fully ignorant pilots who have no chart or compass. 
 
 To those who are fully aroused to the situation 
 as it exists, who are aware of the wretched systems 
 of cultivating the voice along superficial and un- 
 natural lines, who know of the existing chicanery 
 the flattery and blandishments showered upon un- 
 suspecting victims in the interest of business the 
 condition is truly appalling. The world wags 
 along, and the heartrending cries of the vocally 
 lost, and the gnashing of teeth by the sojourners in 
 vocal purgatory, are smothered by the hopeful 
 shouts of the advancing army of beginners who 
 expect to do better. 
 
 The picture, unfortunately, is not exaggerated 
 or overdrawn. This may be superlative iconoclasm, 
 but it is certainly high time that some of the idols 
 should be destroyed. 
 
 The idolatrous worshipping of the " method " on
 
 40 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 account of its difficulties and seeming unattainabil- 
 ity should be brought to an abrupt end. 
 
 Pursuant of the statement that there is no una- 
 nimity of opinion among the theoretical writers, it 
 is nevertheless gratifying to observe that there is 
 a constantly-growing tendency toward common 
 ground of agreement on vital points, manifested 
 by those who have been through the refining fire 
 of practical experience, and who are actually suc- 
 cessful singers and vocal teachers. 
 
 Certain physiological and psychological truths 
 are making themselves felt. False doctrines will 
 no doubt, by process of gradual elimination, yield 
 to the truth by virtue of their power to accomplish 
 evil and their impotence to accomplish good in 
 matters vocal. 
 
 It is a question of time and the survival of the 
 fittest both in theory and in the practical work- 
 ing-out. 
 
 Some teachers express the opinion that the read- 
 ing of books upon the subject of voice culture and 
 the art of singing does little, if any, good. 
 
 Indeed, it is stoutly maintained by many that 
 the perusal of works upon the subject is worse than
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 41 
 
 useless, and oftentimes positively detrimental to 
 the progress of the student. Such opinions are 
 not without a show of good reason, because it is 
 true that the variety of ideas and views expressed 
 may well be considered as confusing to the utter- 
 most degree. These ideals and views are diametri- 
 cally and cross-sectionally opposed to each other 
 in our array of vocal literature. 
 
 Duly-accredited authorities are at loggerheads ; 
 half-truths which conceal whole truths, and hence 
 are more dangerous than untruths, are spread 
 before the inexperienced student. 
 
 Is it any wonder, then, that under these con- 
 ditions the student body should be advised not to 
 read books on the subject, on the ground that such 
 reading may result in a dangerous confusion of 
 ideas? 
 
 However true this may be, the solution of vital 
 problems can never be accomplished by closing the 
 eyes and the ears, and refusing to exercise the 
 powers of judgment, consideration, and analysis. 
 To the earnest seeker after truth it is necessary to 
 investigate; and, after all, to use a trite expres- 
 sion, " Every tub must stand on its own bottom."
 
 42 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 It may be an open question as to the advisability 
 of young students reading indiscriminately the 
 works of various authors; but it is assuredly the 
 imperative duty of vocal teachers to investigate 
 truths and untruths which abound in the world of 
 literature pertaining to their art; to separate so 
 far as possible, the true 'from the false, and to 
 advise as to such reading as may prove profitable 
 to the student. 
 
 Into the vocal teacher's hand it is given to be 
 a .great power for good or the reverse. 
 
 The responsibility is his to lead young singers 
 aright. To do this, it is necessary to know the 
 highways and the byways ; the paths that lead to 
 the summits, and the paths that do not. 
 
 The standardizing of voice culture as to funda- 
 mental principles is a crying necessity, but never- 
 theless the standardizing of tone from the view- 
 point of imitating the sounds produced by certain 
 artists, to the end that all singers should sound like 
 these great singers, is not only physically imprac- 
 tical and impossible, but it also represents a sum- 
 total distinctly undesirable in effect. 
 
 Physically taking into consideration the fibre
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 43 
 
 and construction, for instance, of Caruso's and 
 Melba's vibrators (vocal cords) and surrounding 
 laryngeal apparatus the size, form, and construc- 
 tion of the resonators, chest, throat, and nasal 
 cavities ( all tone-characterizing factors to be reck- 
 oned with in any voice), to say nothing of the size 
 and capacity of the lungs, windpipe, and respira- 
 tory muscles representing the motor power it is 
 hard to conceive of the possibility of making even 
 similar tones with such a variety of conditions as 
 a physical basis. 
 
 From this standpoint alone, I should as soon 
 think of trying to make a piccolo sound like a 
 flute, a violin like a viola or a bass viol, or a cornet 
 like a trombone or a French horn; moreover, the 
 constitutional difference in different singers, and 
 the mental equipment as well as the mental atti- 
 tude, must be considered. 
 
 The character of each voice is influenced to a 
 very considerable extent by the mental as well as 
 by the physical condition of the individual. Hence 
 the interesting varieties of voices as well as the 
 interesting varieties of 'faces. 
 
 No two voices sound alike, any more than two
 
 44 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 faces look alike ; nor do we wish to have them so. 
 We don't want to walk down the street and see the 
 same shaped nose and chin, the same color of eyes, 
 the same complexion or expression on every face 
 we meet; no more do we want to hear the same 
 character of voice, which must needs be unnaturally 
 and artificially produced. The logical conclusion 
 as to the result of such working-out, granting that 
 it should be successful, is that it would amount to 
 insufferable monotony. 
 
 We wish to see cheerful, intelligent faces, radiant 
 with health and the joy of right living, and hear 
 musical, expressive voices in both speech and song ; 
 and to this end the standardizing of tone construc- 
 tion is desirable. 
 
 Analytically, the 'faults and defects in voices 
 are pretty well known and have been scientifically 
 explained, but this has not as yet served to produce 
 a synthetical process corrective in effect of these 
 same defects. 
 
 The tearing down and dissection have been to 
 the satisfaction of all observers and close students 
 of the subject, but not so the building-up or syn- 
 thetic process. When this has been satisfactorily
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 45 
 
 accomplished, when unanimity of opinion shall be 
 established regarding fundamental principles per- 
 taining to construction, when cause and effect shall 
 be understood in direct correlation, and univer- 
 sality of opinion and ideas concerning effect desired 
 shall exist, then the musical forces of the world will 
 commence to act in accord, and the wheels of the 
 machinery for the much-to-be-desired standardiz- 
 ing of tone construction will be set in motion. 
 
 The standardizing of tone in effect is not, then, 
 a desirable, any more than it is a practical or pos- 
 sible, culmination. 
 
 The delicate structure of the lyric tenor was 
 never intended by Nature to sound like the dra- 
 matic, heroic tenor of Caruso, even under full 
 normal development. The normal tone charac- 
 ter of the dramatic soprano expressing any emo- 
 tion is essentially different from the tone character 
 of the lyric soprano expressing the same emotion. 
 
 Serious difficulties are encountered by artists 
 who dare to ignore their physical limitation and 
 attempt the impossible. The annals of history 
 teem with records of vocal disasters of this kind. 
 
 Variety of effect, then, is a physical necessity,
 
 46 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 as well as artistically desirable. This does not, 
 however, antagonize the true fundamental prin- 
 ciples involved in correct vocal development; nor 
 does it antagonize the unquestionable desirability 
 of unanimity of opinion arising from knowledge 
 of facts in the physical phenomenon and the causes 
 thereof. 
 
 THE RELATION OF PHYSIOLOGY AND 
 PSYCHOLOGY TO VOCAL ART 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING this arraignment of certain 
 views of the relation between physiology and vocal 
 art, let it not be understood that the science of 
 physiology has no bearing upon the physical oper- 
 ation of the voice in song and speech. On the con- 
 trary, the observations and conclusions of the 
 physiologists have done a considerable amount of 
 good to the vocal world. The evil which has been 
 done has been chiefly on account of wrong con- 
 sideration of its relation to the vocal art. 
 
 One important relation of physiology to vocal 
 art is the observation of the phenomenon of voice- 
 production with a view to its effect upon our physi- 
 cal welfare. For instance, as to abdominal breath-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 47 
 
 ing, physiology points out that it is injurious to 
 the physical welfare of the singer ; frequently pro- 
 ducing hernia, indigestion, and various other dis- 
 orders of the system. Physiology points out the 
 fact that the diaphragm is the most important 
 muscle of inspiration, but is not a muscle of expira- 
 tion. It thus exposes the ignorance of the pseudo- 
 vocal scientist who instructs his pupils to control 
 the breath at the diaphragm. Again, physiology 
 proves clearly that the habit of tight lacing among 
 women is distinctly injurious to the normal opera- 
 tion of the lungs and to the general health of the 
 individual as well. These and similar considera- 
 tions make the science of physiology an important 
 factor in determining the course of truly scientific 
 voice culture. 
 
 Physiology says to vocal science : " Do not build 
 up a system which interferes with my laws other- 
 wise you are unscientific." And true vocal science, 
 when born, says truthfully to physiology : " You 
 are not my parent. You can tell me what I can 
 and cannot do so far as it concerns you, but no 
 more. I will observe your rights, but I wani you 
 not to obtrude yourself into my domain. You are
 
 48 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 my elder brother, but you are destined to be ray 
 servant and not my master." 
 
 True vocal science, then, acknowledges and re- 
 spects the realm of physiology, but denies the use- 
 fulness of the science in construction as at present 
 applied to vocal art. In distinction from physi- 
 ology she declares for physical culture as a most 
 important factor. 
 
 The human voice is the audible manifestation of 
 soul and mind in the material world. The imme- 
 diate material vehicle is made up of lungs, larynx, 
 and resonance chambers of the body. Voice culture 
 is the cultivation of the mind and the ear, aided 
 by favorable physical activities, which consequently 
 develops the physical parts involved. 
 
 Let us now consider the relation of the science 
 of voice culture to the art of singing. 
 
 Science is knowing. Art is doing. " All scien- 
 tific method in observation needs to be guarded in 
 its employment, as all observation of phenomena 
 is apt to encounter difficulties, and liable to engen- 
 der mistakes," says George T. Ladd in his descrip- 
 tive and explanatory psychology. 
 
 Nowhere have these mistakes been more in evi-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 49 
 
 dence than in the vocal field. The science of physi- 
 ology, given its proper place in the consideration 
 of voice culture, would have been, and can yet be, 
 a blessing instead of a curse to the vocal world. 
 
 Even those physiologists who admit the science 
 of psychology as a valuable aid to the general 
 scheme of construction, fail to grasp the seemingly 
 hidden truth that psychological influences, mental 
 conception, imagination, and strict attention to the 
 end in view, instead of the physiological truths 
 concerned in the process, should be the first con- 
 sideration. Physiology enters merely as a corrob- 
 orative witness to good results, and as a warning 
 monitor in the event of possible violation of her 
 laws producing discomfort, or ill effect of any 
 kind during or consequent upon the production 
 of tones. When the singer is in normal, healthy 
 condition, and harsh, ugly tones are in evidence, 
 unaccompanied and not 'followed by any particular 
 discomfort, physiology need not be referred to, 
 appealed to, or consulted for relief always ex- 
 cepting a condition which requires medical or sur- 
 gical attention. The remedy lies wholly in musical 
 conception, idealism, hearing, and ability to judge
 
 50 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 correctly the sound of one's own voice, and a work- 
 ing knowledge of necessary physical activity. 
 
 In proportion to the singer's ability to hear and 
 judge his own voice correctly is he able to beautify 
 his tones, and not in any other way. Development 
 of the singer's musical mind is of first importance. 
 Musical perception, comprehension, and finally, 
 musical judgment make for superlative ability. 
 
 "A well balanced mind," says Charles Lunn, 1 
 
 % 
 
 " is one in which the three factors, memory, under- 
 standing, and will, are approximately equally well 
 developed." A retentive memory, a comprehensive 
 understanding, and a well directed will-power are 
 the attributes of a strong mind. A properly 
 
 1 Charles Lunn reports the following: "In the Month 
 for March, 1893, appeared the statement, 'Every advance 
 which science has made in the various branches of knowl- 
 edge, such as physiology, sound, dynamics, statics, etc., which 
 in one way or another relates to the use of the vocal organs 
 has only shown and proved with ever-increasing force, the 
 truth of the rules of the old Maestri.'" 
 
 And, again, the Medical Review, writing on the subject 
 some years ago, said, " Accurate analysis shows that the 
 rules and practice of the old masters were nothing more 
 than the (bringing about of) unconscious, almost instinctive 
 realization of correct physical conditions in the vocal organ. 
 Their system, therefore, is right, and the only one which 
 can be accepted."
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 51 
 
 directed will-power is in distinction 'from mule- 
 like, unreasoning stubbornness, which is rather a 
 proof of weak understanding. The will is enlight- 
 ened by understanding. In singing, the will-power 
 can be used to stiffen the muscles, and also im- 
 properly directed may bring about involuntary 
 stiffening of muscles rigidity. The result is a 
 harsh, unsympathetic voice, because elasticity is 
 interfered with, or impeded in its proper action. 
 The will-power should not be used to attempt to 
 compel bodily functional processes. These act nor- 
 mally in response to effect sought. To attempt 
 to control locally bodily functions, is to will cause 
 instead of effect. It is misdirection of will, a direct 
 violation of natural laws, and almost invari- 
 ably results in effect which is not desirable or 
 desired. 
 
 " There is in all living bodies a power called 
 * vital force,' of which we are conscious only by 
 results. This vital 'force goes immediately to its 
 end, instantaneously and directly in all action," 
 but is not projected by will. If we will 
 to move the end of a finger, we do not think 
 along our wrist, although it is quite possible
 
 52 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 to observe a muscular action in the wrist. This 
 phenomena could be physiologically analyzed, but 
 to what purpose? If you wish to crush a mosquito 
 with the end of your finger, you must not stop to 
 inquire what muscles you should use. You would 
 will the effect, and the vital force would go quickly 
 to its end. By any other process the mosquito 
 would probably escape. Just so the voice gets 
 away from you when for an instant you lose sight 
 of the immediate effect in view, and attempt 
 directly to guide and control the functional 
 process. Spontaneity is checked, and the most 
 desirable effect is never accomplished along these 
 lines. So far as the physical parts are concerned, 
 the larynx should take care of itself neither held 
 up nor down by direct conscious effort. The 
 attempt to hold up the soft palate, or uvula, always 
 results in local interference. Elasticity and flexi- 
 bility are unbreakable laws where beautiful, ex- 
 pressive tones are concerned. 
 
 The value of the old school was in the teaching, 
 which incidentally brought about correct adjust- 
 ment of the parts involved. Empirical instruction, 
 that is, instruction given in the light of obser-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 53 
 
 vations of phenomena as they occurred, was the 
 general method, if it can be so called. 
 
 "Sing on the breath," "Support the tone," 
 and " Sing forward," did not mean to hurry, or 
 to force the breath upward and outward, or to 
 stiffen the body, or to drive the voice forward. 
 " Canta naturale, come si parla," meant to sing 
 naturally, as you speak. " Supportare la voce! " 
 meant to support the voice, that is, to keep it 
 going and not to weaken. " Fuori la voce," meant 
 " Out with the voice." The combination could only 
 mean, " let the voice pour out supported by the 
 breath in natural exhalation." " Appogglare la 
 voce in testa," and " Appoggiare la voce sid petto," 
 meant, " Lean the voice in the head or on the chest." 
 " Metier la voce pin in testa" or " Piu srd 
 petto" indicated and implied the idea of admixture 
 and proportion in effect tonal balance and the 
 old school accomplished the desired effect, barring 
 impossible subjects. Note that the attention of 
 the student was always directed to the voice, and 
 not to the producing mechanism. The terms arose 
 undoubtedly from the impression and consciousness 
 of resonance in the head and chest. They are not
 
 64 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 scientific terms, physiologically speaking, but the 
 old and successful school was not one which took 
 into consideration the science of physiology further 
 than practically to avoid breaking its laws, and 
 this it did more effectively than the modern schools, 
 which are avowedly based on physiological prin- 
 ciples. 
 
 " L'ltaliano non ha gola," means that the " Ital- 
 ian has no throat." Its import is that the Italian 
 has no consciousness of physical effort in the throat 
 while singing. 
 
 The empirical system of the old school was effec- 
 tive in obtaining good results, and had the old 
 school been fortified and made impregnable by its 
 reduction to scientific principles, instead of ignor- 
 ing the true import of the meaning intended, all 
 would have been well, and in all probability prog- 
 ress in the old art o'f singing would still have been 
 uninterrupted. As it is, we have all been hope- 
 lessly confused and buffeted about by the introduc- 
 tion into our constructive workshop of a science, 
 which, in its present application, strikes at the very 
 life of normal healthy vocal activity and develop- 
 ment.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 55 
 
 Physiology and anatomy have nothing whatever 
 to do with correct synthesis of voice production, 
 except to define what can be done and what cannot 
 be done without producing physically injurious 
 results. 
 
 Illustrating the truth of this statement, by far 
 the most important science, so far as usefulness 
 to voice construction is concerned, is natural phi- 
 losophy or psychology. This was the living prin- 
 ciple of the old and successful school of singing, 
 from the year 1600 to 1750 or thereabout ; but the 
 principles were not scientifically defined. Criti- 
 cally, it was somewhat weakened by calling atten- 
 tion to the process. " Sing on the breath," 2 and 
 
 *For all practical purposes 1120 feet per second is the 
 average rate at which sound travels in air, regardless of 
 temperature. The breath of the singer merely sets the cords 
 vibrating which in turn develop sound-waves voice. 
 
 The doctrine of the conversion of breath into tone is, 
 therefore, fallacious, a theory exploded by science. The idea 
 of "singing on the breath" originated on account of the 
 simultaneous impressions of sound, and breath in exhalation, 
 experienced by the singer. Notwithstanding this ignorance 
 of the sciences of physiology and acoustics on the part of 
 the old masters, the development of voice and the act of 
 singing flourished, which is a positive indication that knowl- 
 edge of these sciences has little to do with the making of a 
 singer.
 
 56 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 " Open the throat," are not the strongest factors 
 of the early empirical system of instruction. As a 
 matter of fact, these two admonitions are scientifi- 
 cally alien factors and represent the weakness of the 
 old school considered as a consistent theoretical 
 structure. In a truly scientific school, attention 
 should not be called) to the breath in its natural 
 process of producing tone, with a view to gaining 
 conscious control of the breath. Nor should in- 
 struction be given to open the throat. The mean- 
 ing is perfectly understood by experienced singers, 
 but actually there is the danger of interfering with 
 the normal operation of the breath, and exagger- 
 ated unnatural opening of the throat. That part 
 of the throat which ought to open will do so much 
 more satisfactorily under instruction to enunciate 
 the vowel and pronounce the word freely, distinctly, 
 and without restraint. Furthermore, in this man- 
 ner there is no danger of degenerating into arti- 
 ficiality. 
 
 What is generally understood as scientific voice 
 culture is mechanical guidance of the voice by pay- 
 ing attention to the physical parts involved, based 
 on what is known of physiology and anatomy.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 57 
 
 Differences of opinion about these matters have 
 given rise to endless and useless discussions. As a 
 consequence, the science of physiology, which really 
 has the least to do with the art of singing, is made 
 to masquerade as the chief bulwark of a so-called 
 vocal science. The present vocal science is actually 
 unscientific, and the term is a misnomer. True 
 vocal science is known to the few, but it has not 
 been properly christened. Those who pay too much 
 attention to physiology often find themselves in 
 as ludicrous a position as the man who, moved by 
 patriotic fervor, came to weep at the tomb of 
 Washington. 
 
 The guard approaching said to him " Friend, 
 why weepest thou? " 
 
 " Sir," replied the patriot in mild rebuke, " this 
 is the tomb of Washington." 
 
 " No," said the guard, " the tomb of Washing- 
 ton is over yonder. This is the ice house." 
 
 All that is necessary to restore voice culture to 
 its ancient and successful platform is, first, to elim- 
 inate this destructive penchant for mechanical 
 guidance and sycophantic bowing and scraping to 
 physiology and anatomy, and then reduce the vital
 
 68 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 principle of the old school to scientific, unmistak- 
 able terms, which will truly represent the real basis 
 on which it formerly stood. 
 
 So-called vocal science has for its sponsor the 
 science of physiology, and its offspring the me- 
 chanical schools of voice production. The prin- 
 ciples on which it relies are destructive rather than 
 constructive. 
 
 Physiology herself revolts at the distortion of 
 truth in the principles of the mechanical schools, 
 and shows her displeasure in the tired, aching, con- 
 gested throats and strident, discordant tones of 
 its votaries. 
 
 The principle which brought about the change 
 from the command of voice (the end) to the com- 
 mand of the process of production, may be consid- 
 ered the destroying agent. In other words, the 
 change from the psychological to the physiological 
 basis as of primary consideration, and of first im- 
 portance, I diagnose as the fatal change. What- 
 ever (decline the old school might have suffered is 
 accounted for by the gradual growth and conse- 
 quent preponderance of consideration for, and 
 attention to, the process rather than the end to
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 59 
 
 the physical vehicle of voice rather than the voice 
 itself as appreciated by the ear. 
 
 This growth has been insidious, and the destroy- 
 ing germ has permeated the whole labyrinth of 
 vocal art, like a cankerous worm or a destroying 
 monster reaching out with octopus-like tentacles 
 and withering the very soul of vocal life. 
 
 The proper study of voice is voice, and voice 
 is the audible manifestation of the soul. Knowl- 
 edge and appreciation of its source is the basis of 
 true vocal science, and on true vocal science only 
 can the art of singing securely rest. 
 
 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL 
 VIEWS OF VOCAL TRAINING 
 
 FROM the standpoint of the psychologist, it 
 makes a very interesting proposition that we should 
 entertain no consideration of the physiological 
 aspect during vocal training. 
 
 From the standpoint of the physiologist, an 
 equally interesting but distinctly less acceptable 
 proposition is that we have to deal mainly with the 
 physiology of the voice during the voice training 
 period. Curiously enough, it seems to have been
 
 60 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 overlooked that while we retain our mental facul- 
 ties, mind and body are indissolubly united. 
 
 Now, having taken cognizance of this evident 
 oversight on the part of some contending partisans, 
 we should remind ourselves that the supremacy of 
 mind over matter is a well-established scientific 
 truth. Psychology is the science of the facts or 
 states of consciousness as such, and thus of the 
 self or mind [The things which psychology studies 
 are attention, perception, thought, memory, feel- 
 ing, imagination, planning and choosing discrim- 
 ination and the exercise of the will power. 
 
 Psychology as applied to the art o'f singing in- 
 cludes a sense of physical activities, as well as 
 divine idealism and conception. It is the first 
 factor for consideration in training the voice, be- 
 cause mental conception of some kind should always 
 precede execution. In learning to sing, if the con- 
 sideration of the physiological condition is made 
 the chief object, the real goal of artistic expression 
 is entirely overlooked ; or, at least, a serious yes, 
 an almost impassable barrier to artistic success has 
 been erected. If, on the other hand, the consider- 
 ation of soulful or even intelligent expression is
 
 THE! LOST VOCAL ART 61 
 
 made the chief object, the chances are much more 
 favorable to success. Certain physiological con- 
 ditions are necessary, but such conditions are 
 purely resultant. The chief consideration should 
 be to bear in mind that in order to produce the 
 best results, it is necessary for the singer to be in a 
 healthy condition, so that the functional processes 
 will act normally under proper .guidance. 
 
 The strength, comprehensiveness, and quality 
 of thought regarding effect desired preceding the 
 physical action, determines in the largest degree 
 the success of that action. This is in the natural 
 order of things in general, and should be recognized 
 in particular by teachers and singers alike, in prac- 
 tical voice training. The vocal mechanism devel- 
 ops naturally under sane, healthy vocal exercise, 
 guided by the ear and the musical sense. The real- 
 ization of mechanical ease in delivery should be 
 ever present. 
 
 If this mechanical ease in delivery does not 
 accompany the conception of correct tone, it may 
 be safely assumed that the ear needs training. 
 Beautiful tone and mechanical ease in tone-produc- 
 tion are inseparable. In the art of singing, as in
 
 62 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 all other arts, the leading influence is the mental 
 conception. Following the action is the judgment 
 of effect which is the discriminating monitor. 
 
 Analytically, under correct conditions, the ma- 
 terial vehicle the mechanism of the voice invol- 
 untarily adjusts itself automatically to the require- 
 ment of the preconceived desired effect. 
 
 The blunderings of the ambitious physiologists 
 who are not singers, and who contend that the 
 attention to the development and direct control 
 of certain muscles or sets of muscles which are, 
 in fact, in operation during the execution of song 
 is all-sufficient, originate in a lack of understand- 
 ing of the psychological phase of the matter. 
 Good vocalists are seldom found among people who 
 entertain such views. 
 
 For a singer, first of all, musical talent is an 
 absolute necessity. " Voce, voee, voce" is not 
 all-sufficient. The amount of musical talent neces- 
 sary to success depends upon its relation to the 
 amount and distribution of talent and development 
 in other contemporaneous singers. Hence the 
 standard of musical development and vocal equip- 
 ment necessary to success is variable.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 63 
 
 It must be remembered that musical talent is 
 subject to the same possibility, only to a very 
 much greater extent. The development of the 
 parts involved, aided by certain physical consid- 
 erations, can always be depended upon to follow 
 the development of musical appreciation. 
 
 Physical development of the vocal apparatus is 
 very largely coincident with, and a natural conse- 
 quence of, vocal training, which must primarily be 
 directed along the lines of musical conception. 
 
 Analytically, vocal sounds are produced by 
 the vocal cords stretched by the insensible influence 
 of the will. The breath passes up through the 
 space between the vocal cords called the glottis. 
 The action of the breath sets in vibration the vocal 
 cords. The sound waves produced by these vibra- 
 tions, are augmented by the resonance cavities of 
 nose, throat and mouth. 3 The compound sound 
 consisting of fundamental and overtones represents 
 the individual voice which may be musical or other- 
 
 The shock of the glottis is a term which has been used 
 by scientists to indicate the initial action of the breath upon 
 the vocal cords. This term has been appropriated by vocal 
 teachers with harmful effects, as too much violence and 
 force is usually applied as a consequence of the suggestion.
 
 64 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 wise, primarily depending upon the regularity of 
 vibrations. Pitch is determined by the length, 
 thickness, tension and rapidity of vibration of the 
 vocal cords. Volume depends largely upon the 
 quantity of air which goes through the larynx in a 
 given time, influencing the amplitude of vibrations 
 of the cords. The loudness or intensity of sound as 
 explained by Dr. Brewer, the eminent authority 
 on acoustics, " is proportionate to the force of 
 the shock the air receives, the density of the 
 medium through which the sound waves pass, the 
 uniformity of that medium, the absence of obstacles 
 to interrupt the progress of the sound waves and 
 the proximity of the auditor to the original source 
 of sound. The character of sound is largely deter- 
 mined by the form, magnitude and density of the 
 sounding body, the method by which it is executed 
 and the comparative force of the power by which 
 it is set in motion." 
 
 Individuality of tone in any voice is due to the 
 fact that all sounds practically are compound, not 
 simple sounds. The quality and character of the 
 vocal sounds depend upon the number and inten- 
 sity of their components. L The vibration of the
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 65 
 
 cords, both full length and in segments producing 
 fundamental and partial or over tones, develops 
 tone waves amplified by the resonance cavities. The 
 greatest influence upon tone individuality, however, 
 is the mind and mental attitude of the singer. 
 It is undoubtedly true as Dr. Brewer states, that 
 " the force of the voice is increased by opening the 
 mouth, flattening the tongue, causing the velum 
 palati at the back of the mouth to contract, thus 
 making the passage larger " but the most signifi- 
 cant statement as effecting the singer is, that all 
 these conditions are either dependent on the will 
 (direct control), or subject to guiding emotions, or 
 influenced by passing ideas, through the operation 
 of automatic changes. " Man can lower his voice 
 at one moment into a whisper, elevate it at another 
 into a yell, pour into it the fervor of passion and 
 declamation, or modulate it into the medium tone 
 of social intercourse and general conversation." 
 Direct control represents the mechanical school 
 and should receive no consideration from singers, 
 as it leads to anything but the means of artistic 
 expression. The action of the vocal muscles and 
 acoustic conditions, can be analyzed by scientists
 
 66 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 until doomsday without coming one whit nearer the 
 solution of the problem of correct synthesis in vocaj 
 development, until the psychological phase of the 
 matter is given the first consideration. 
 
 The training of the singing voice, as well as the 
 training of the speaking voice, we find, is best 
 accomplished under the general laws of psycho- 
 logical control. The'muscular operations are sub- 
 ject to physiological and anatomical analysis; 
 but, under the same law that the sense of sight di- 
 rects any action of the hand or foot in bringing 
 about any desired result, the sense of hearing, if 
 properly exercised, directs the physical operations 
 of the vocal organs. Attentively listening to 
 one's own voice promotes the development of the 
 correct muscles for the production of the sounds 
 which agree with our mental conception and judg- 
 ment of what is correct in effect. In forming this 
 judgment, the singer is in a very large degree 
 dependent upon the musical judgment of some 
 other person or persons, for the reason that his 
 voice does not sound to himself as it does to others. 
 The individual cannot at first be the sole judge of 
 the comparative beauty of the quality or intensity
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 67 
 
 of his own tones, unaided by some other person, 
 be he ever so expert as a tone critic, because in the 
 very nature of the condition he is not in a position 
 to hear his own voice as others hear it. However, 
 assuming that the singer has fine musical percep- 
 tion and judgment o'f vocal sounds produced by 
 others, he is in much better position to develop 
 rapidly than the individual whose musical percep- 
 tions and judgment are inferior, either from lack 
 of intuitive ability or acquired competency; be- 
 cause, hi3 attention being directed to what is good, 
 better or best in his voice, he is better able to con- 
 trol his own vocal utterances than a person of in- 
 ferior musical ability. In fact, almost any good 
 musician can readily learn to sing well and to pro- 
 duce beautiful tones. In cases where what is known 
 as beautiful voice exists naturally, the act of sing- 
 ing is easily acquired, provided that the attention 
 of the singer is directed to the excellence, as well 
 as to the shortcomings of his own natural produc- 
 tion. The physical conditions are favorable to 
 good tones, and the skill of singing is easily 
 acquired by the canto fig-urato, i.e., different musi- 
 cal figures or vocal exercises which are favorable
 
 68 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 to the acquiring of facility in singing. Practice is 
 all that is necessary, guided by the attention of 
 one's self to one's own voice. The work of the vocal 
 teacher in such cases is comparatively easy. At- 
 tention to proper inspiration, and the correct 
 physical poise and mental attitude of the singer, 
 are all that is necessary. In cases when what is 
 known as natural beautiful voice does not exist, the 
 development calls for the expert guidance of the 
 competent vocal teacher. It is my firm conviction, 
 resulting 'from many years of experience in train- 
 ing voices, that almost anyone possessing musical 
 talent can develop a fine voice and acquire the art 
 of singing. The inherent desire of the musical 
 soul to express itself through the medium of the 
 voice, aided by the knowledge in the possession of 
 every expert vocal teacher, makes it entirely within 
 the range of reasonable possibility. It is true that 
 the so-called making of voice calls in many in- 
 stances for the exercise of great patience, perse- 
 verance, and indomitable will on the part of both 
 teacher and pupil ; but when the desire to accom- 
 plish is sufficient, coupled with steadfastness of 
 purpose, the end can never be in doubt.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 69 
 
 It is entirely probable that the majority of the 
 more advanced thinkers to-d,ay are those who 
 believe in a general way that the true basic prin- 
 ciple underlying the singer's art is psycho rather 
 than physico, but who doubt the efficacy of the 
 first alone to accomplish the best ends. There has 
 been a gradual change of opinion during the past 
 quarter of a century, and particularly during the 
 past decade, regarding the physiological phase of 
 the matter, due largely to the result of teaching 
 along the lines of what may be termed local action 
 or the mechanical school; that is, giving primary 
 attention to the physical parts involved, and will- 
 ing the process rather than the end. The result 
 of such investigation and teaching has everywhere 
 proved unsatisfactory except in isolated cases. 
 These exceptions may be said to have proven the 
 rule. It is an open question, however, whether 
 the few singers representing such methods have not 
 made their mark in spite o'f their accepted theor- 
 ies, and whether they would not be better artists 
 if their ideas about mechanical guidance were laid 
 aside. The art of singing is the art of self-expres- 
 sion. The art of mechanical guidance of the vocal
 
 70 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 mechanism is not. This latter art, nevertheless, 
 has been very generally acquired during the age of 
 retrogression. The decline of the vocal art from 
 the high standard of the golden age is a fact and 
 a matter of history. Those who have passed a num- 
 ber of years in the great musical centres of the 
 world, and have observed and taken part in the 
 ambitious struggle for vocal supremacy, know that 
 general failure has crowned the efforts of the vast 
 majority of the participants. These have failed 
 to reach the goal of moderate success, not through 
 the lack of musical ability nor the lack of a natur- 
 ally good organ of sound, but to a very large 
 extent through the inadequacy of present-day 
 methods of training. 
 
 Leaving aside the instances, by no means un- 
 common, of voices which have been hopelessly 
 ruined during the process of cultivation, we have 
 for consideration the alarming number of voices 
 which have become harsh, hard, and inexpressive 
 as a result of vocal training, both in Europe and 
 America. There is no reason for any voice to be- 
 come harsh and discordant during the training 
 period, if guided by skilful instructors, who are
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 71 
 
 not benighted and befuddled by popular fallacies 
 regarding voice culture. Theories and practice 
 in the course of vocal training must be harmonious. 
 The one must not belie the other, if systems are to 
 become reliable. Empirical and scientific instruc- 
 tion should not clash. If empirical instruction 
 brings favorable results, it should be reduced to 
 scientific principles in order that it may become 
 a rock of vocal ages. 
 
 Inasmuch as the art of song is an art of vocal 
 expression of human ideas, emotional and other- 
 wise, the first care must assuredly be, not to depart 
 from a line of practical procedure which has con- 
 stantly in view this most important fact* Ideally, 
 singing is musical vocal expression, and the criti- 
 cism of singing to-day, generally speaking, is that 
 it is not this. It is something quite foreign. It has 
 degenerated into attempts to make tones in accord- 
 ance with some method for inducing quantity, re- 
 sulting for the most part in noises loud and 
 strident. 
 
 Seemingly, it matters not whether high notes are 
 agreeable and expressive so long as they are in 
 tune and powerful. Screeching, strained, fear-
 
 72 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 stricken high notes are tolerated and even ap- 
 plauded by a public which has learned to expect 
 these things, because it is of common occurrence 
 to receive such offerings from public singers. Of 
 course the " dear public " is conscious of the dif- 
 ference when here and there a bright star rises in 
 the vocal firmament and sings the music without 
 inflicting the soul-harrowing noises upon it. And 
 so idealism is not destroyed, and certain standards 
 of vocal excellence remain. The few truly vocal 
 artists are living examples of what is possible. 
 Popularly, it is supposed that these most accept- 
 able exponents of the art of singing were endowed 
 with very exceptional roices and talents not the 
 gifts of their less fortunate confreres. In a sense 
 this is true, but not to the extent of general sup- 
 position. Almost all the shining lights of opera, 
 'oratorio, and song recitals have been for years per- 
 sistent and painstaking students of their art. Long 
 and endless devotion has been the price of genuine, 
 lasting success often in cases where superior nat- 
 ural vocal mezzi was wanting. The attributes of 
 patience, perseverance, and self-denial in the mat- 
 ter of indulgence in habits which less serious stu-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 73 
 
 dents often acquire, has been not the least import- 
 ant factor in the accounting. 
 
 On the other hand, many aspirants who can 
 justly claim the virtues of the serious student of 
 song arrive at no practical realization of their 
 dreams, and the cause o'f such failure does not 
 seem to be apparent. Given musical knowledge, 
 intelligence, and the quick feeling and appreciation 
 known as temperament, the conscientious student 
 possessing a good voice should succeed to some 
 appreciable degree. An explanation is at hand. 
 In exactly the degree to which the attention to the 
 detail of the physical process of tone-formation in 
 modern voice culture overshadows the natural ten- 
 dency to express one's ideals normally, to such de- 
 gree are successful results jeopardized or made im- 
 possible. This is entirely irrespective of the par- 
 ticular dogma used in the vocal training. Inherent 
 common-sense frequently asserts itself, and false 
 doctrines are not always able entirely to upset the 
 instinctive and subconscious promptings of nature. 
 In such event, the student may be said to succeed 
 in spite of avowedly accepted doctrines. 
 
 The strangest part of it all is that credit for
 
 74 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 success is frequently given to doctrines which might 
 have caused dire distress and hopeless inefficiency. 
 
 Take, for instance, the popular doctrine of 
 breath control. If the control of the tone is 
 actually governed by the ear, and results are satis- 
 factory to the vocal teacher in charge of the case, 
 the student may escape the penalty of wrong mus- 
 cular development which would naturally occur 
 under the false idea of actual direct breath control. 
 Frequently, Nature asserts herself and satisfying 
 results occur, which for the time being avert an 
 impending catastrophe. The wrong principle in 
 instruction sometimes happily fails to take root, 
 as the assassin's bullet goes wide of the mark. 
 
 The singer goes on, possibly handicapped by the 
 entertaining of ideas which do not make for best 
 results, but which are, happily, not sufficiently well 
 applied to compass a complete downfall. A par- 
 ticularly strong, finely bred horse will sometimes 
 win a race, though outrageously overweighted. 
 
 So much for the contemplation of conditions as 
 weighed in the balance and found wanting, or other- 
 wise. The purpose of all intelligent seekers after 
 truth is to discover, if possible, the size and char-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 75 
 
 acter of adverse influences as well as influences 
 which promote normal, healthy, and desirable con- 
 ditions. The evidence that psychology was the 
 fundamental though unfortunately unnamed prin- 
 ciple of the old school, may be termed circumstan- 
 tial ; negatively proven by the absence of any other 
 principle in the records of instruction as found in 
 the works of early writings, and positively proven 
 by traditional precepts as handed down by word 
 of mouth and reduced to this scientific principle. 
 The physiological idea of the present-day his- 
 torians and conjectural writers indicates that they 
 have arrived at the conclusion that there is a mis- 
 sing link somewhere. Something must have been 
 lost, according to their way of thinking, because 
 the old masters did not tell you what to do. There 
 is nothing in their literature to show that they did 
 something with the physical parts involved. The 
 logical conclusion is that either they did not record 
 this Something which they did or counselled to be 
 done (and, if so, something has indeed been lost), 
 or else that they never did anything directly and 
 purposefully with these very parts. The latter 
 conclusion offers the most tenable ground for future
 
 76 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 discussion, and in the author's opinion represents 
 the actual state of the case. Granting this to be 
 a correct deduction, there is no difficulty in resur- 
 recting the lost vocal art. 
 
 Analytically, the size, form, and adjustment of 
 the organ of sound is different in every individual 
 voice, at any given pitch. 
 
 The quality is dependent not only on physical 
 environment, but on the soulful animus, the creative 
 faculty in the imagination; in short, the condition 
 of the mind. The physical condition of rigidity or 
 flexible firmness of the physical parts involved is 
 largely resultant upon the influence of mental con- 
 ditions. This leads us to the consideration of the 
 important fundamental factor of idealism, mental 
 conception, or imagination. 
 
 If in the psychological phase of the matter the 
 direction of the ideas is toward the control o'f the 
 material part of the voice, we have clipped the 
 wings of vocal possibilities. The voice normally 
 expresses pain, pleasure, joy, sorrow, exultation, 
 longing, satisfaction, pity, disdain and all soulful 
 emotions. The voice is the vehicle of expression 
 and the strength or weakness of the imagination
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 77 
 
 is a most important factor as influencing the 
 strength or weakness of soul-expression. From the 
 physiological standpoint, certain muscles respond, 
 and under well defined laws of development grow 
 and increase in their physical ability. The observa- 
 tion of nature's way of doing things has thrown us 
 off the scent, so to speak. We have lost sight of the 
 fact that the will-power, prompted by the imagina- 
 tion, must be directed to the end sought and not to 
 the process of the physical vocal phenomenon as it 
 is observed to occur, or as it is supposed to occur. 
 Here is the parting of the ways. The considera- 
 tion of the physical process with the idea of directly 
 controlling that process, basing our right to do 
 so upon the fact that certain physiological con- 
 ditions are in evidence during the phonation of cer- 
 tain sounds, is the crying evil of the day. It repre- 
 sents the rocks and shoals upon which most of the 
 vocal ships have foundered and gone to the bottom. 
 It represents the superfluous and unnecessary 
 handicap under which many a partially disabled 
 vocal ship is sailing. It is the much-to-be-dreaded 
 vocal Nemesis of the present day. 
 
 Complete vocal-emancipation will come when
 
 78 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 the truth is borne in upon all singers that the 
 physical obeys the mental conception, if the will is 
 exerted to the accomplishment of the desired end. 
 There are of course physical limitations, but these 
 need not be anticipated or prematurely considered. 
 ,They make themselves known soon enough, and 
 when they do it is time enough to regulate your 
 vocal conduct so as not to offend Dame Nature. 
 
 The leavening manna of common-sense will pre- 
 vent many a serious blunder. If common-sense 
 reigns, no basso profundo will attempt to sing a 
 high soprano role in opera. Less obvious violations 
 of nature's laws can also be avoided by just exer- 
 cising common-sense. 
 
 The consideration of favorable physical con- 
 ditions to beautiful expressive tonal emission must 
 not be confounded with physiological considera- 
 tions. There is a distinction and a difference which 
 are highly important in the practical working-out. 
 Allowing the mind to wander or compelling the 
 mind to take cognizance of and dwell upon the 
 phenomenon as it occurs detracts from the success 
 of the undertaking ; principally because it is found 
 to be practically impossible to express any human
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 79 
 
 emotion with soulful interest and at the same time 
 to be busily engaged in attempting mechanically 
 to adjust the physical parts involved. Such pro- 
 ceedings are contrary to the obvious law of vocal 
 expression in song. The mechanism of the voice 
 develops strength and general physical ability in 
 response to the mental conception or the musical 
 end in view, aided by physical conditions which are 
 found to be favorable and which require only a very 
 minor consideration. Attention to detail in the 
 physical phenomenon is embarrassing, superfluous 
 and unnecessary. It detracts from the main pur- 
 pose, and if carried to extremes, as is frequently 
 the case, is not only subversive, but actually renders 
 impossible the accomplishment of the desired end. 
 The psycho-physico process represents the nat- 
 ural line of vocal development not the psycho- 
 physiological or anatomical. To argue that the 
 instrument must first be put in order before it is 
 played upon, is to advance an argument utterly 
 fallacious, because it presupposes that the vocal 
 instrument bears the same relation to the performer 
 as does the violin or piano, which is not the case. 
 This idea, which at first thought may seem plau-
 
 80 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 sible enough, has been found upon investigation to 
 be erroneous. The strings of the violin or piano 
 cannot by any possibility respond to the will or 
 desire of the artist, without being first set up or 
 prepared by a strictly mechanical operation. 
 These instruments are not a part of the living be- 
 ing. In distinction from all other instruments, 
 the human voice occupies the unique position o'f 
 being a part of the living being, and under well- 
 known psychological laws is or may become attuned 
 to any condition without special direct mechanical 
 aid. The skill of handling the vehicle of sound in 
 the case of any instrument, other than the human 
 voice, can be developed without any particular 
 regard for the wear and tear upon the instrument 
 in practice. The instrument worn out can be 
 replaced by another as good or better than the 
 old one. Not so the human voice. The imaginary 
 necessity of treating the voice as a mechanical 
 instrument, before using it as the means of artistic 
 expression, has caused the ruin of many a voice 
 and seriously handicapped many more. 
 
 Voices developed under the principles which 
 recognize the fact that physiological adjustment
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 81 
 
 is a natural consequence of practice following the 
 correct idealization, are the ones that are being 
 trained according to truly scientific principles. 
 
 A knowledge of the physical medium of voice is 
 not only interesting, but is instructive and desirable 
 for analytical reasons. 
 
 Fromi physiologists we learn that the larynx 
 contains the vocal cords, the vibrators of the vocal 
 instrument. In order to sing evenly, smoothly, 
 and effectively, it is absolutely necessary that all 
 thought of holding the larynx up or down, or fixed 
 in any position, be abandoned. During the phona- 
 tion of a tone on any given vowel at any given pitch, 
 the larynx remains firm in one position. In chang- 
 ing pitch the larynx may change its position, but 
 never should be compelled to do so by the will 
 of the singer. This is one of the things that Nature 
 insists upon doing for herself, without wilful inter- 
 ference. Involuntary interference may result from 
 several causes, and here is where the skill or lack of 
 skill in singers and teachers becomes manifest in 
 correcting such interference. Suitable vocal and 
 physical exercises to bring about healthy elasticity 
 of the muscles involved are what is required, and
 
 82 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 the judgment of the ear, combined with the con- 
 sciousness of physical ease, is the final court of 
 appeal. 
 
 It matters not whether the cords are at one 
 angle or another, whether they are long or short, 
 thick or thin, tense or otherwise, or how they 
 approximate ; these are not questions for considera- 
 tion in the synthesis of voice. 
 
 Physiologists tell us that between the true and 
 the false vocal cords or bands are two sacs on 
 either side, capable of inflation and expansion by 
 air, known as the ventricles of Morgagni. It is 
 a problem of physiology, and whatever influence 
 they may have upon sound is a question involving 
 the science of acoustics, very interesting 1 to know 
 about and to discuss, but having no bearing upon 
 the problem of the synthesis of voice production. 
 Analytically, it is most interesting and instructive 
 to read about what muscles and cartilages are in 
 use during the act of singing, and to understand 
 the physiology of the vocal organ. For informa- 
 tion regarding these things read any authority on 
 physiology and anatomy. The works of Dr. Hoi- 
 brook Curtis, and Professor Wesley Mills, of Me-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 83 
 
 Gill University, are particularly interesting. 
 Among other things, Professor Mills says : " In 
 singing and speaking, the larynx should be stead- 
 ied, otherwise the ' attack,' or application of the 
 air blast to the vocal bands, cannot be perfect." 
 If the phraseology had been " the larynx should be 
 steady " instead of " the larynx should be stead- 
 ied," there would be no objection to the statement. 
 As it is, it does not agree with the principles of 
 voice culture as set forth in this work. Further- 
 more, the action of the mechanism of the larynx 
 should be automatic, and not be subject to direct 
 control. 
 
 History records that in the year 1854 the cele- 
 brated teacher, Manuel Garcia, invented the 
 laryngoscope, now in .general use among phys- 
 icians. It consists of two mirrors, one fastened 
 to the forehead by a band placed around the head, 
 and the other a small mirror which, when intro- 
 duced into the mouth at the back of the throat, 
 is so held as to secure the reflection of light from 
 the mirror at the forehead, which in turn is gener- 
 ally illuminated by a lamp. The purpose of the 
 laryngoscope was to observe the larynx during
 
 84 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 actual phonation something that had never been 
 accomplished up to that time. 
 
 The laryngoscope, with all its value to the phys- 
 ician and to the analytical physiologist, is of no 
 practical value to the vocal teacher, except to 
 determine the physical condition of the larynx and 
 vocal cords by being able to view them. 
 
 Dr. Fillebrown of Harvard says : " As a surgeon, 
 I well know the value of thorough anatomical 
 knowledge, but from the singer's standpoint I can- 
 not too strongly emphasize the unwisdom of direct- 
 ing the attention of sensitively organized pupils 
 to their vocal mechanism by means of the laryngo- 
 scope. This instrument belongs to the physician, 
 not to the singer." 
 
 Dr. Fillebrown says further: 
 
 " By the testimony of Garcia's biographer, 
 M. S. McKinley, and of the distinguished English 
 baritone, Sir Charles Santley, who was a pupil 
 of Garcia, it is authoritatively known that Garcia 
 modified his first claims as to the value of the 
 laryngoscope in voice culture. Mr. Santley says 
 in his * Art of Singing ' : * In all my conversations 
 I had with him I never heard him say a word about
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 85 
 
 larynx or pharynx, glottis, or any other organ 
 used in the production and emission of the voice.' 
 This does not agree with the principles of voice 
 culture as set forth by Garcia in his work, but 
 a reasonable conjecture may be that Garcia 
 changed his principles in practical voice training 
 after reaching his final conclusion as to the value of 
 the laryngoscope." 
 
 Dr. Morell MacKenzie, the illustrious surgeon 
 and throat-specialist of London, says : " It can 
 scarcely be said to have thrown any new light on 
 the mechanism of the voice," and Dr. Lennox Brown 
 says : " Valuable as has been the laryngoscope in a 
 physiological way, as undoubtedly it is in a medical 
 sense, it has been the means of making all theories 
 of voice production too dependent on the vocal 
 cords, and thus the importance of the other parts 
 of the vocal apparatus has been overlooked." 
 
 The principal factor in bringing about correct 
 coordination of the parts involved is the breathing. 
 
 BREATHING AND BREATH CONTROL 
 
 THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL 
 As correct breathing is such an immense power
 
 86 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 for good, not only as a factor in the emission of 
 artistic tone, but as an ever-present influence in the 
 conservation of health, it is most important that 
 the student should have at the very outset a thor- 
 ough understanding of this most important subject. 
 The major fallacies regarding the breathing appa- 
 ratus are resultant 'for the most part upon the 
 misapprehension of proper direction of the will- 
 power. 
 
 In reviewing the history of vocal art we find that 
 many plausible theories concerning the manage- 
 ment of the breath have not only failed in the prac- 
 tical application to bring about desirable artistic 
 results, but have been fruitful of much physical 
 as well as artistic evil. It is interesting to read 
 the opinions of the learned scientists on this sub- 
 ject, and I will briefly quote from the works of a 
 number o'f authors who have received public recog- 
 nition. The false deduction of voiceless corpses 
 that never sang, as Mr. Charles Lunn remarks, 
 are worse than valueless as affecting the truth 
 in matters of voice construction. Again quoting 
 Sir Morell MacKenzie on the subject of controlling 
 the breath from the diaphragm: " \The old Italian
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 87 
 
 masters taught that in inspiration the anterior 
 abdominal wall should be slightly drawn in, and this 
 method was practised for more than a hundred and 
 fifty years; but in 1855 Mandl opposed this mode 
 of breathing on anatomical grounds, maintaining 
 that the descent of the diaphragm is facilitated by 
 allowing the abdominal wall to be flaccid and to 
 project forward in inspiration. In England the 
 views of Mandl have been advocated by Messrs. 
 Brown and Behnke, and I was myself inclined to 
 accept these doctrines. I felt some misgivings, 
 however, on the subject, more especially as Gott- 
 fried Weber, one of the most acute investigators 
 who had studied the science of singing, says that it 
 is impossible to say why it is so, but that undoubt- 
 edly the old Italian method is the best. I endeav- 
 ored to harmonize the conflicting views, but further 
 investigation of the subject has convinced me that 
 the old Italian Maestri were right, and that in the 
 abdominal cavity there is ample room for the slight 
 descent of the diaphragm without any protrusion 
 of its anterior walls. By the old Italian method 
 complete control is obtained at the commencement 
 of the act of expiration, and undue escape of air
 
 88 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 i.e., waste of breath is thus prevented. In other 
 words, by the Italian system greater effect is pro- 
 duced with less expenditure of force." 
 
 Sir Morell MacKenzie's reference to the old Ital- 
 ian method is an analytical observation of physical 
 conditions which he considers to be physiologically 
 most favorable to the best voice-production. These 
 conditions, instead of representing a purposeful 
 effort on the part of singers to bring about these 
 results, are found to be purely and naturally conse- 
 quential, and to represent the most natural and 
 normal physical condition in singing. 
 
 Says Dr. Harry Campbell, in his " Respiratory 
 Exercises in the Treatment o'f Diseases " (1898) : 
 " If a full pancostal inspiration be taken after a 
 complete expiration, no more air, or at all events 
 only a small quantity, can be inhaled by means of 
 the diaphragm. This at once disposes of the view 
 held by some teachers of singing that more air can 
 be taken in by a diaphragmatic breath then by 
 the purely costal method. Further proof of the 
 fallacy of this teaching is supplied by the spirom- 
 eter." 
 
 Mr. Charles Lunn, in his " Philosophy o'f the
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 89 
 
 Voice " (1906), says : " There is one word I should 
 like to eliminate from the teacher's vocabulary, and 
 that is ' diaphragmatic,' for it is used in two senses : 
 one meaning a descent on the intestines, pushing 
 the bowels out ; the other meaning an expansion of 
 the free ribs pushing these ribs apart. (1) Clavicu- 
 lar breathing in a standing biped is an upward 
 perpendicular force ; is ugly, but a singer can sing, 
 in degree, with this method. (2) Abdominal 
 breathing in a standing biped is a downward per- 
 pendicular force, and is not only ugly, but atro- 
 cious, for a person can never sing with this. (3) 
 Costal or artistic breathing in a biped standing up- 
 right is a horizontal force, acting at a right angle 
 to a vertical line." Dr. Campbell's ideas con- 
 cerning breathing are directly opposed to the 
 Mandl School, practically overthrowing it, as 
 shown by the following : " Abdominal breathing is 
 closely associated with the name of Mandl, who 
 in 1855 advocated this mode of breathing in an 
 article which appeared in the Gazett Medic ale 
 though it had already been largely practised. He 
 obtained a wide following, and in schools of sing- 
 ing most strange devices were resorted to for the
 
 90 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 purpose of fixing the ribs and compelling pure 
 abdominal breathing ; thus the pupils were made to 
 sing while lying down on mattresses, sometimes with 
 weights more or less heavy placed on the sternal 
 regions. Masters were even said to make a prac- 
 tice of seating themselves familiarly upon the chests 
 of their pupils. In the schools were to be seen gal- 
 lows with thongs and rings for binding the upper 
 half of the body, orthopaedic apparatus, rigid cor- 
 sets, and a kind o'f pillory, which enclosed the 
 frame and fixed the ribs." (Quoted from Joals* 
 " Respiration in Singers.") 
 
 " All sorts of troubles may result from abdomi- 
 nal breathing, such as hernias, indigestions, and 
 disorders of the abdominal circulation, etc." 
 
 Corroborating this testimony, Dr. Rennie in his 
 work, " The Art of Improving the Voice and Ear " 
 (1825), says : " From stretching all the parts of the 
 abdomen till some of them give way, a rupture, or 
 hernia, is the consequence, as was observed long ago 
 by the celebrated Fallopius. Dr. Ramazzini often 
 'found rupture produced in a way precisely similar 
 in children, who, by exerting their voices in crying, 
 overstretched and burst the muscles of the belly."
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 91 
 
 In Dr. Lardner's " Animal Physics " we find a 
 clear explanation of the action of the ribs during 
 the most approved manner of respiration as prac- 
 tised by the most successful singers of the present 
 day. 
 
 Dr. Lardner writes : " In the state of repose 
 which follows an expiration, the capacity of the 
 chest being reduced to its least limit, each pair of 
 ribs is inclined downward and forward, and the 
 sternum (breast bone) is depressed. To enlarge 
 the chest during an inspiration, each pair is drawn 
 up to the horizontal position, and at the same time 
 the sternum is elevated and protruded forwards. 
 This movement produces an enlargement of the 
 thorax (chest) by two of its dimensions: firstly, 
 by its increased depth from the sternum to the 
 vertebral column (backbone), and, secondly, by 
 its increased width from side to side." 
 
 Dr. H. Holbrook Curtis says : " We were long 
 since convinced that the inferior costal breathing 
 was the proper method of respiration for singers 
 and voice users. But it seemed to us that the 
 act might be made more general, more complete, 
 by adding to it the superior costal elevation."
 
 92 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 Dr. Curtis calls this mode of breathing the fixed 
 high chest method. He points out the fact that 
 practically all authorities are agreed about the 
 correct condition o'f the abdominal wall in inspira- 
 tion, the debated question being the extent to which 
 it should be retracted. 
 
 In reading the reports of scientific observers, the 
 mind of the student often becomes confused, chiefly 
 on account of the failure to realize that the obser- 
 vative or analytical is not the viewpoint which 
 should be taken by the student in the synthetic 
 process. Such analysis is merely corroborative, 
 and is valuable to the scientist only from a physio- 
 logical standpoint. 
 
 The student must remember that he is not sing- 
 ing or learning to sing with the object of bringing 
 about any particular physiological condition. It 
 is merely interesting to know that certain physio- 
 logical conditions may be observed as accompani- 
 ments or consequences of certain physical move- 
 ments, resulting from the proper direction of will- 
 power. 
 
 In Stephen's Commentaries on Social Economy 
 appears the 'following : " There are professions pro-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 93 
 
 ductive of evils so serious, when improperly exer- 
 cised, and so liable at the same time to be exercised 
 by unfit persons, as to make it proper to subject 
 them to the restraints of legal regulation." Re- 
 ferring to this quotation, Mr. Charles Lunn says : 
 " That the science and art of voice training is in- 
 cluded in this category, is easily shown ; in fact, the 
 evidence of evil is overwhelming, and is constantly 
 on the increase, owing to the pseudo-science that 
 prevails and the unchecked interference of unquali- 
 fied persons." 
 
 Dr. Fillebrown, of Harvard, explains the vocal 
 phenomena as follows : " There are two sets of res- 
 piratory muscles: one set for inspiration and the 
 other for expiration twenty-two or more in all. 
 The diaphragm, and the intercostal muscles that 
 lift the ribs, are the chief muscles of inspiration. 
 Four sets of abdominal muscles, together with the 
 intercostal muscles that depress the ribs, constitute 
 the muscles of expiration. The diaphragm is not a 
 muscle of expiration. 
 
 " Expiration depends mostly on other muscles. 
 The abdominal muscles relax during inspiration, 
 and the diaphragm relaxes during expiration. The
 
 94 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 muscles of expiration are the stronger of the two. 
 This is what is needed ; for the breath while speak- 
 ing or singing must go out under greater tension 
 than is necessary for inhalation." 
 
 All voices are subject to the same general laws 
 of development. The lungs and respiratory 
 muscles act as the physical motor-power, the vocal 
 cords act as a vibrator, the mouth, throat, nose 
 and head and chest cavities act as a resonator, and 
 the tongue and lips act as the articulator. 
 
 The development of the vehicle of voice consists 
 in the harmonious action of these four elements. 
 The breath properly taken by free expansion of the 
 lungs creates in exhalation a current of air which 
 passes through the wind-pipe and larynx, or voice- 
 box containing the vocal cords the vibrator. 
 At this point the current of air produces the 
 tone which we will .speak of as fundamental tone. 
 The vibrating air or tone passing on into the 
 mouth is reinforced by the hard palate and the 
 cavities of the nose and head the resonator. Ad- 
 ditionally, we have the sympathetic resonator, i.e., 
 the chest, and, in fact, the entire body. 
 
 Let the student of voice remember that all con-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 95 
 
 sideration as to the physiological conditions during 
 phonation is superfluous, as in the practical syn- 
 thesis of voice production the important things 
 to be considered by the student are the initiative 
 and the result. In my observation I find a great 
 misapprehension of the correct mode of procedure 
 in the natural development of the voice. 
 
 Breath control, in principle, means to many 
 singers a wilful, direct and voluntary holding-back 
 of the breath during phonation, for the purpose 
 of economizing the supply o'f breath. Broadly, 
 this is the result of the teachings of the local 
 effort school, in which the pupil or, in this case, 
 the victim is led to believe that by holding back 
 or pushing the breath he is correctly exercising the 
 function of breathing. 
 
 Alas for the victims ! Nothing could be more 
 subversive of the truth. No man or woman can 
 wilfully hold back or push the breath, and at the 
 same time sing with spontaneity, naturalness, or 
 soulful expression. 
 
 In short, the thing is incompatible with good 
 singing. 
 
 To analyze a phenomenon of nature and find
 
 96 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 certain things about it to be true in effect, does not 
 determine the best means of bringing about the 
 condition thus analyzed ; and it is owing to a gen- 
 eral misapprehension o'f the natural laws of cause 
 and effect that the wrong initiative is taken, 
 attended by imperfect and oftentimes disastrous 
 results. 
 
 As in a geometrical proposition, if the procedure 
 of investigation is based upon a false hypothesis, 
 the conclusions are necessarily incorrect. 
 
 Now, assuming that the high chest and slightly 
 drawn in abdomen is the correct condition for a 
 singer in the act of inspiration, and the high chest 
 and further drawn in abdomen is the correct one 
 in expiration, we have a still more important mat- 
 ter for practical consideration. 
 
 There still exists the possibility of true or false 
 premises, and hence true or 'false conclusions, as 
 the case may be. 
 
 This liability to error and false conclusion in 
 the practical working-out of the problem lies first 
 in the mental initiative. By this is meant the first 
 thought and the first voluntary physical action. 
 
 If these are correct, the consequent involuntary
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 97 
 
 I 
 
 action will occur, and the result will be correct, 
 unless there are existing conditions of abnormal 
 activity of the interfering or extrinsic muscles. 
 When the singer has solved the problem of correct 
 mental initiative and voluntary action, and the 
 ear has been educated to appreciation of the sounds 
 resulting therefrom, he is on comparatively safe 
 ground. When there is an involuntary stiffening 
 and hardening o'f the extrinsic muscles of the throat 
 or face, or hardening of the muscles of the abdomen 
 or diaphragm, special treatment is required de- 
 pending upon the nature of the particular case. 
 We will proceed with the assumption that the high 
 chest and slightly drawn in abdomen is the cor- 
 rect position in the act of inspiration. 
 
 If the chest be elevated and the abdomen drawn 
 in voluntarily, and breath taken through mouth or 
 nose voluntarily, and in expiration the chest be 
 held up and the abdomen drawn in still more, and 
 the breath held back voluntarily, we should have 
 what might be termed a strict following out of the 
 rule of direct muscular control. 
 
 It has been a purely voluntary mechanical pro- 
 ceeding all the way through, and results may be
 
 98 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 totally unsatisfactory. Again, we may raise the 
 chest and draw in the abdomen slightly by means 
 of simply standing erect; or, rather, if we stand 
 erect, we may find that the chest is high and the 
 abdomen slightly drawn in; furthermore, we may 
 find that we already have sufficient breath on which 
 to sing without having given a single thought to 
 raising the chest, drawing in the abdomen, or 
 taking the breath ! 
 
 If we continue to stand erect while singing, we 
 may find that the chest remains high; that the 
 abdomen sinks in still more, naturally and involun- 
 tarily, as we proceed, and that we are singing with- 
 out any thought of holding back the breath. In 
 both cases we find by analysis of conditions that 
 we have observed theoretical requirements, but with 
 vastly different results, both tonal and physical. 
 
 The first method is incorrect, because it inter- 
 feres with natural spontaneity, and the results will 
 show conditions of sound which will not appeal to 
 the correctly trained ear. There are other con- 
 ditions which actually exist in correct tone produc- 
 tion, but the above example illustrates the prin- 
 ciple of automatic breath control.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 99 
 
 This is primarily a matter of the physical culti- 
 vation of the breathing muscles and the develop- 
 ment of the lungs, and is best accomplished by 
 exercises which will practically bring about the 
 desired results. These are, the ability to sustain 
 phrases evenly at any degree of power within the 
 natural range, to crescendo and diminuendo, and 
 to color the tones at will, without directly attempt- 
 ing to govern the muscles involved. 
 
 Authorities disagree as to the mode of pro- 
 cedure in this cultivation and development. Some 
 contend that breathing exercises should be used 
 without phonation, while others insist this is un- 
 necessary. 
 
 There can be no harm, and undoubtedly a benefi- 
 cial result will be gained in many cases, by breathing 
 exercises without phonation in the strengthening 
 of the breathing muscles and developing the lungs. 
 
 Notwithstanding the physiological fact that the 
 diaphragm descends during inspiration and 
 ascends during expiration, no attention whatever 
 should be paid to this fact. Avoid all attempt to 
 control the breathing, and the breath will act nor- 
 mally and naturally. Remember that the dia-
 
 100 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 phragm is a muscle of inspiration and not of expira- 
 tion, and performs its function automatically. All 
 attempts to control the breath or tone at the dia- 
 phragm is suicidal. It is a factor in the physiolog- 
 ical labyrinth of errors which has wrought so much 
 havoc in the singing world, by creating rigidity of 
 the body and consequent muscular interference. 
 
 When correct habits of breathing are formed, 
 the singing should be as subconscious as the vital 
 or living breath. 
 
 In cases where high resonance seems to be lack- 
 ing and facility in voice emission is not apparent, 
 the inspiration through the nose may be found 
 most effective in correcting the difficulty. The 
 lips should be slightly parted during the inspira- 
 tion in order to obtain the best results. This, in 
 order to avoid undesirable contractions. Breath- 
 ing through the nose has everything to recommend 
 it when using the voice in a damp, cold, or impure 
 atmosphere, or when not using the voice at all. 
 The gasping mouth breathing is not only objection- 
 able but is a dangerous habit. 
 
 Singers who gasp for breath habitually are gen- 
 erally faulty in intonation, especially in the upper
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 101 
 
 register. They also acquire a wabbly tone which 
 is most reprehensible artistically. 
 
 Take breath by gently lifting the body from 
 the hips, the jaw being loose and the lips slightly 
 parted. Do not close the mouth when breathing 
 as it may cause body stiffening, especially if there 
 is present any obstruction of the nasal passage. 
 
 " All practical rules must rest upon theory, 
 and theory upon nature, and nature's law is ascer- 
 tained by observation and experience." 
 
 Now, there may be various good methods of de- 
 veloping the breathing powers, but when the time 
 comes to sing the breath inspiration should be 
 entirely subconscious, and in expiration should 
 not be controlled by wilful muscular action at the 
 throat, or at the diaphragm. 
 
 This attempt to locally control is one reason for 
 the very limited and undesirable kind of voice de- 
 velopment of many singers. The most serious 
 trouble lies, generally, in the mode of inspiration 
 and the attempt directly to control expiration. 
 
 " The muscular or conscious breath means over- 
 stock. Muscular breath compels voluntary muscu- 
 lar control, from which results throat-contraction
 
 102 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 and consequent pinched tones. The/nervous breath 
 means nervous, unsteady control and consequent 
 relaxation and loss of breath." This deduction of 
 Edmund J. Meyer, in his excellent work, " The 
 Renaissance of the Vocal Art," without question 
 represents the truth. The remedy for holding back 
 or pushing the breath voluntarily, both of which 
 are wrong, is, firstly, the correction of the mode 
 of inspiration, or taking the breath ; and, secondly, 
 the absolute abandonment of any direct control o'f 
 the breath or breathing muscles. Meyer's deduction 
 touching this point, represents the thought of all the 
 great teachers of Italy, differently but more scien- 
 tifically expressed. It is this : " Expand to breathe, 
 do not breathe to expand." The Italian teachers 
 said : " Do not make a noise when you take your 
 breath, no matter how quickly you find it necessary 
 in singing your phrases." Mr. Meyer has simply 
 expressed epigrammatically and scientifically a 
 living truth, which is, in fact, one o'f the mainstays 
 of the old Italian systems of training the voice. 
 
 However, as a matter of instruction, I find 'from 
 experience that it is advisable to explain to stu- 
 dents that expansion is a result of the arousing
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 103 
 
 of vital energy, aided by correct carriage, rather 
 than of a specific effort. Expansion is the natural 
 result of standing erect. 
 
 When one expands to breathe he finds it no lon- 
 ger necessary consciously to hold back the breath 
 in expiration, for the purpose of economy of breath 
 or for expression of any kind. The breath control 
 is automatic under a natural law which is ascer- 
 tained by observation and experience. The actual 
 physical breath-control then, is a consequence; a 
 most important function, it is true, but under the 
 immutable law of nature, merely and only auto- 
 matic, and under no circumstances subject to direct 
 thought of muscular action. Hence the necessity 
 of correct mental and physical initiative. 
 
 To sum up, the correct initiative lies in the 
 first place in a mental conception of the pitch and 
 character of tone or succession of tones desired, fol- 
 lowed by the voluntary movement producing ex- 
 pansion. Sing without a thought of breath control ! 
 The necessary coordination will take place. Auto- 
 matic adjustment of all parts will occur as soon as 
 the necessary physical elasticity is brought about. 
 
 You will have sufficient breath for the longest
 
 104 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 phrases, and inhalation will not be heard. Fur- 
 thermore you will experience a degree of comfort 
 in singing which will be a grateful revelation. 
 
 Finally, breath-control, except as a matter of 
 result, which may be analyzed, is liable to be disas- 
 trous. Control the character, intensity, and equal- 
 ity of your tone, and let the breath control itself. 
 If you try to do the reverse, you will get the cart 
 before the horse a very common blunder, and 
 responsible for much evil in the singing world. 
 
 The greatest error in the cultivation of this 
 complex and wonderful instrument, the human 
 voice, is the attempt to take out of the hands of 
 Nature that which Nature intended to do for her- 
 self. First and most disastrous of all, as has been 
 pointed out, is the fallacy of direct and purposeful 
 breath control. There is no occasion for the admo- 
 nition directly to control the expiration of breath 
 at any stage of voice culture. The idea alone is 
 antagonistic to all natural normal development of 
 the expressive voice, and any specific instruction 
 as to breath-control to any student is a mistake. 
 
 The second important 'fallacy for consideration 
 is the instruction to open or to close the throat.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 105 
 
 This is, if anything, more pernicious in effect than 
 the instruction to control the breath. 
 
 Tones may be classified as open or closed, accord- 
 ing to the effect produced, but the instruction 
 should be to produce the vowel correctly and dis- 
 tinctly. If the vowel is open, well and good ; if it 
 is closed, equally well and good. In other words, 
 let the throat alone. For example, pronounce naw. 
 You will observe the dropping of the jaw. The 
 tone is called open, but no attempt should be made 
 to open the throat. There will result the natural 
 opening due to correct pronunciation. This alone 
 will produce the correct opening of the throat, or, 
 more properly speaking, the pharynx, and any 
 additional effort to open it is liable to bring about 
 an unnatural, artificial mode of tone production. 
 But it must be borne in mind that the correct sound 
 of aw should be given. 
 
 Now pronounce nee. The tone is called closed, 
 but no attempt should be made to close the throat. 
 Under the same rule there will result the natural 
 closing due to correct pronunciation, and any fur- 
 ther attempt to close the throat will also be liable 
 to result disastrously. Normal, uninterrupted
 
 106 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 respiration, combined with correct pronunciation 
 of the word, and more particularly correct enunci- 
 ation of the vowel sound, will be found to right 
 many o'f the errors in voice-production. The con- 
 sciousness of correct phenomena, evidenced by 
 satisfying results and accompanied by the sense of 
 ease in delivery, no doubt is responsible for the 
 expressive empirical instruction of the old school, 
 " Sing on the breath." 
 
 It makes no difference at what pitch (within its 
 natural range) the voice is to sound, these rules 
 obtain whether the pitch is high or low. Any in- 
 struction to open or close the throat is liable to be 
 misleading, confusing and destructive. It is pro- 
 ductive of objectionable muscular interference 1 . 
 The confusion in open or closed tones arises from 
 wrong conceptions of what is meant by " to open " 
 or " to close." The open tone, and also the 
 pharynx, is the natural result of the free enuncia- 
 tion of what we understand to be the open vowels, 
 and the closed tone is likewise the natural result of 
 the correct enunciation of the closed vowels. 
 
 The third major fallacy in vocal instruction is 
 the attempt directly to control the registers. The
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 107 
 
 instruction to sing in this or that register must 
 have been prompted by Satan himself. Its result 
 is often confusion worse confounded. What may 
 be termed " registers " unquestionably exist in the 
 operation of the normal voice, and depend entirely 
 upon pitch and character of expression. The regis- 
 ter used should not be preconsidered in production, 
 but should occur automatically in natural response 
 to the character of the idea to be expressed. Under 
 no circumstances should change of register be pre- 
 meditated. To compel the phenomena is to inter- 
 fere with the workings of nature. The mechanism 
 of the voice is such, that, under proper conditions, 
 it automatically adjusts itself in the simplest man- 
 ner possible, and unerringly, if not restrained by 
 attempts to control the breath, to open or close 
 the throat, or, in short, to compel the phenomena 
 in any way. Analytically, there is room for argu- 
 ment as to the number of registers in the human 
 voice, but synthetically, registers have no place in 
 the consideration of construction. 
 
 VOICE PLACING 
 
 WHAT is known as " voice placing " in singing 
 is something which derives its name from an im-
 
 108 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 pression gained bj the hearer and from the anger** 
 sensation. The term u placing* gives the idea, of 
 a static condition of the roice, and thereby pro- 
 motes an undesirable static condition that is> en- 
 ti rel j at variance with the correct idea of voice, 
 \ oice is sound produced ana sustained Of supported 
 by a constantly moving current of air, 
 
 It is true that there is the effect of a static 
 condition of voice which is called placing, but this 
 should be the result, of the proper focussing of the 
 tone. The sensations which accompany the cor- 
 rect voice placing are invariably the result of mov- 
 ing breath. The static effect of tone placing is 
 merely incidental. To dwell upon tone placing 
 usually causes an involuntary halting of the breath 
 activity. Consciousness of tonal poise should be 
 accompanied by consciousness of moving hrfi&th 
 and tone sounding forward. The condition of 
 body stiffness causing throat stiffness, the graaiat 
 obstacle to correct tone ennssion is thereby greatly 
 relieved. 
 
 This phenomenon of voice is dependent upon a 
 constant and regular flow of breath. There is no 
 stopping-place for the breath as subject to the wiD.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 109 
 
 It must continue on its way. It is true that the 
 breath changes its form, and tone is the vocal mani- 
 festation off its constant motion, but the time-hon- 
 ored term of " voice placing " conveys a wrong idea, 
 and has a psychological influence which is not 
 conducive to the best results in establishing tonal 
 poise. 
 
 The consideration of what is commonly under- 
 stood as voice-placing, is worthy of particular 
 attention chiefly on account of the very general 
 misapprehension of exactly what voice placing 
 really means, and the method of its accomplish- 
 ment. The prevalent idea is that the voice should 
 first be properly placed before commencing the 
 study of artistic singing and interpretation. While 
 it is true that the preliminary work of training 
 the voice should be conducted along lines which 
 permit the development of vocal ability as to purely 
 technical skill, it is also true that the 'fundamental 
 principles are alike in both preliminary and ad- 
 vanced study. The main idea is not different, as 
 is generally supposed. The principle of training 
 the voice to the end that it may finally respond to 
 the will in the matter of producing pure tones
 
 110 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 an even scale, agility and resonance is perfectly 
 correct. The .general mistake is in the assumption 
 that the preliminary work of voice placing is a 
 thing apart, and that once 1 the voice is placed ifwill 
 respond to. the soulful demands of the singer. This 
 is true only when the voice placing 1 has been accom- 
 plished by attention to the end in view during all 
 intermediate stages' of development. In other 
 words, if the voice placing seems to have been 
 fairly well accomplished from a purely mechanical 
 standpoint, and the student is considered to be 
 ready for the next step, namely, the study o'f artis- 
 tic, expressive singing, the voice will be found to 
 be more or less unreliable; one register will be 
 found to be weaker than another in the absence 
 of strict attention to the mechanical part of the 
 work (which must necessarily be less prominently 
 considered during song, if the expression is to be 
 sincere and hence truly artistic). Just so far as 
 the consideration is mechanical guidance, so far 
 must the interpretation and desired effect suffer. 
 The results are necessarily more or less artificial. 
 The mixture of attention to the artistic ends 
 desired and mechanical processes, will be found to
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 111 
 
 present obstacles which are, in the very nature of 
 the operation, insurmountable. The vocal condi- 
 tion resultant upon mechanical training does not 
 lend itself to spontaneous expression in song. In 
 short, the two things are found to be incompatible. 
 As has been stated, the vocal organ is a part of 
 the living being, and as an instrument of musical 
 expression it is unique. Its mechanical adjust- 
 ment, its growth and development, are found, under 
 observation and experiment, to occur under treat- 
 ment, which leaves entirely out of consideration the 
 adjustment of the physical parts involved per se. 
 The error, the pitfall which has offered such an 
 alluring picture of future vocal perfection to the 
 trusting student and sanguine master alike, is 
 this very same scheme of voice placing. The end is 
 never reached, and when both student and teacher 
 commence to realize that something is the matter, 
 they both deplore the situation, but are unable to 
 account for it. Sometimes the teacher thinks the 
 pupil is lacking in intelligence, in musical percep- 
 tion or talent. The pupil commences to lose confi- 
 dence in the teacher because the realty desired re- 
 1 suits are not forthcoming. Providing that the
 
 112 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 teacher is plainly conscientious in his work, the 
 pupil frequently thinks it is his own fault and gives 
 up entirely; or, more often, he changes teachers 
 in the hope that some other teacher will be able 
 to accomplish that which up to the present time has 
 proven so elusive. The change of teachers is some- 
 times beneficial in .some respects, depending upon 
 the particular hobby of the new teacher as differing 
 from the hobby of the last. Incidentally, both may 
 be admirable in themselves. Now, possibly, under 
 the readjustment consequent upon the new method, 
 the pupil becomes enthusiastic over an improve- 
 ment which was not apparent under the old in- 
 struction, and he promptly arrives at the conclus- 
 ion that the last teacher was not competent. Pos- 
 sibly after a time the voice is found to be failing 
 in some particular virtue which formerly distin- 
 guished it ; and finally after what is considered to 
 be a sufficient length of time having been devoted 
 to the building up of this particular part, and the 
 results not having been entirely satisfactory, the 
 student again changes teachers, or gives up; and 
 so the serio-comico performance goes on. The 
 will-o'-the-wisp retains its identity and its repu-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 113 
 
 tation as an elusive something of indefinable pro- 
 portions. The poor voice has suffered readjust- 
 ment a'fter readjustment, until, like a worn out 
 " 15 " puzzle, the edges commence to wear off. 
 Proportion has vanished, the mind has become con- 
 fused with the many propositions submitted as cor- 
 rectives. They don't seem to fit or pull together 
 for the accomplishment of the desired end. The 
 singer keeps on like a lame horse in a race, if he is 
 plucky, doing the best he can. If a modicum of 
 success comes, he is apt to resent just criticism and 
 deems his critics his mortal foes. As a matter of 
 fact these criticisms are for the most part just 
 enough, in the light o'f musical comprehension. I 
 once knew a prima donna who when she read an 
 adverse criticism of her work in the morning papers 
 would say : " That critic must have been a terribly 
 disappointed singer." The real trouble was that 
 this prima donna's voice had been trained with a 
 view of compelling the vocal phenomena in certain 
 parts of the voice. Muscular interference result- 
 ing in lack of spontaneity was ever present, and the 
 vocal effects consequently were frequently unsym- 
 pathetic and unsatisfactory. The old story of
 
 114 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 mechanical voice placing which has been such a 
 stumbling block in the career of hundreds of more 
 or less successful singers was told every time she 
 appeared. This case is representative of the com- 
 mon fault of vocal training which does not take 
 into consideration that the vocal apparatus is self- 
 adjustable in a perfectly regulated scale of the 
 human voice. 
 
 Skill in singing is the thing desired by all vocal- 
 ists. The means of obtaining this skill have been 
 more or less successfully acquired by various 
 methods which have at least served the purpose 
 of arousing the interest of truth-seekers, and o'f 
 accomplishing some good results. Graded exercises 
 of rhythmical construction have naturally brought 
 about certain musical and technical improvement 
 in the voice, and, notwithstanding the serious handi- 
 cap of wrong mental initiative, certain good must 
 necessarily result from the perhaps unrecognized 
 power of musical intuition seeking audible expres- 
 sion. Were it not for the wilful mechanical guid- 
 ance which at times conflicts with the natural law 
 of vocal expression, progress in acquiring desired 
 skill would undoubtedly be more rapid and pro-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 115 
 
 nounccd. Certain mechanical guidance, if not car- 
 ried to extremes, may not be particularly harmful, 
 and under certain mental and physical conditions 
 may even prove helpful. The objection to mechani- 
 cal guidance carried out as a scientific principle 
 is, that it is essentially opposed to the natural law 
 of expression ; and the error is in giving undue 
 attention to the mechanical phase of the matter, as 
 attested by practical results. The simplest and 
 most direct way of obtaining good results is always 
 the best, and herein is made manifest the skill 
 and knowledge of the teacher of singing. Success 
 in developing good voices and good singers is inter- 
 dependent upon the natural aptitude, talent, musi- 
 cal intuition, and tractability of students; and the 
 knowledge, skill and conscientious effort of the 
 teacher. The chief obstacle to genuine success, 
 as has been pointed out in these pages, is lack of 
 concentration on the end in view, to the undoing of 
 the whole structure at some stage of construction. 
 The first year of vocal study is most important, 
 as this is the foundation-building period. The 
 house which is built upon a foundation which is 
 insecure finally topples and falls. Many a singer
 
 116 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 has discovered an error in the foundation work 
 which he recognizes as a strong neutralizing factor 
 to success. Oftentimes it has been found necessary 
 to undo all that has been done, and to reconstruct 
 the edifice which is 'found to have been built upon 
 sand. The lack of symmetry in the voices of so 
 many singers that is, the unevenness which shows 
 itself in the scale of voices is undoubtedly due in 
 the largest measure to the prevailing precepts of 
 voice training, i.e., mechanical adjustment. The 
 predominating idea in vocal training is that the 
 voice must be placed before any attention is given 
 to the art of singing. The fact of the matter, as 
 has been before stated, is that the voice placing 
 should be coincidental with, or resultant upon, 
 attention to the art o'f singing. This attention 
 should be directed along the natural lines of pro- 
 gressive development, from the simplest forms to 
 the intermediate, and finally to the difficult forms 
 of musical expression. 
 
 Methods or means for acquiring skill in singing 
 differ according to the requirements of each indi- 
 vidual case. The fundamental principle, however,, 
 is unchangeable. If the mind is riveted upon plac-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 117 
 
 ing the voice in a certain position, regardless o'f 
 any idea of natural expression, the tendency is for 
 the entire body, including the breathing apparatus 
 and the throat, to become rigid, and the voice in 
 ponsequence to become unmanageable, and unre- 
 sponsive to nuances incident upon expression. In 
 short, the present theory of voice placing repre- 
 sents the anomaly of putting the cart before the 
 horse, and the result is that we have built up an 
 art of vocal management which is not in harmony 
 with the natural laws of vocal expression. New 
 difficulties in the rearrangement of the voice are 
 constantly arising with every step of what is con- 
 sidered to be progress. The student is often heard 
 to say, " I can sing those high notes ' forte,' but I 
 cannot sing them c piano,' or even * mezzo-forte. ' 
 This condition, of course, indicates that the high 
 notes must be made to respond to a wilful force 
 entirely out of proportion to the force applied to 
 the middle and lower notes. The wrong mental 
 attitude towards singing and voice placing is re- 
 sponsible for this condition, as it is this alone which 
 produces the distorted physical condition, making 
 the normal delivery of the tones impossible.
 
 118 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 Another singer is heard to say : " My middle 
 register is weak and out of proportion to the rest 
 of my voice," or, " There is a break in my voice 
 at C# or F# " or, " I cannot sing chest tones.** 
 
 Almost invariably the modern singing teacher 
 attempts to improve these conditions by what is 
 called " covering " at a certain point in the scale 
 or by some kind of direct breath control. 
 
 While it is true that more or less successful 
 results may be brought about by these various 
 agencies, it is also true that the most successful 
 results cannot be experienced if the fundamental 
 truth is not observed. The snarl remains. The 
 removal of one difficulty finds the singer involved 
 in some other vocal trouble, and when the new 
 obstacle seems about to be overcome, there is a 
 recurrence of the old difficulty; or complications 
 arise and the partial conquering of one troublesome 
 factor seems to pave the way for some even more 
 serious difficulty. The usual result, of course, is 
 discouragement, 'followed by a change of teachers, 
 new method, etc., in the hope that at last the mys- 
 tery will be solved. 
 
 There is a certain standard which may be
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 119 
 
 attained under the prevalent mechanical idea inter- 
 spersed withi the true natural, emotional instincts 
 regarding expression, which varies in different in- 
 dividuals. Ultimate success, depends very largely 
 upon how much influence the natural, spontaneous 
 forcefulness of individual expression has upon the 
 proceedings. If the inherent desire to express nat- 
 urally is sufficiently strong to overcome the 
 mechanical handicap, conditions may improve by 
 the righteous demands of the soul for adequate 
 expression. Seldom, however, is the real cause of 
 improvement realized by students much less 
 pointed out by the teachers. It is, rather, pointed 
 out that such improvement is due to the careful 
 observance of the mechanical rules and' the method 
 of adjustment; where, if the truth were known, 
 the student has succeeded in spite of the specific 
 instruction. 
 
 He has succeeded though weighted down by the 
 superfluous load of thought regarding the mechani- 
 cal engineering of the voice. He has won out in 
 spite of a serious handicap. More often, at a cer- 
 tain stage of vocal development, when a singer 
 stands face to face with his vocal limitations,
 
 120 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 which he feels really ought not to exist, the struggle 
 for real vocal efficiency becomes a fight in the dark. 
 He first resorts to one device and then another. He 
 gains here and loses there. He thrusts, grasps at 
 every opening, and with valiant persistence strives 
 to wrench himself free from troublesome physical 
 environments. This frequently occurs within the 
 range of what he feels to be his natural vocal limi- 
 tations. The tenor feels that he should sing his A 
 or Bl> because sometimes he can do it. He ought 
 to sing this interval or that interval with reason- 
 able regularity, and at the same time he is con- 
 scious of the fact that there is considerable uncer- 
 tainty about the matter. If he has a slight cold 
 or is not just in what he calls " good voice," he is 
 reasonably certain that he will not arrive when the 
 time comes. All these and, as a matter of fact, 
 nearly all other similar difficulties have their origin 
 in the incorrect 'fundamental principle of voice pro- 
 duction as followed in modern vocalism. In modern 
 voice culture, placing the voice is considered to be 
 the first necessary step; for instead of fixing the 
 mind upon a musical effect desired, the direction 
 of thought is generally towards placing the voice
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 121 
 
 \ 
 
 in some part of the anatomy the front teeth, the 
 back of the nose, the hard palate, or the top or the 
 back of the head, or the spine. The student is told 
 he should feel certain sensations in the chest, in 
 the mouth, in the forehead and he forthwith sets 
 about to do something with the object o'f making 
 such sensations come to him. It is a good deal 
 like telling the boy that in order to catch the spar- 
 row, you must first put salt on his tail. Then, 
 with supreme indifference to anything like observ- 
 ance to the laws of nature, the student is told to 
 hold his larynx down or up in order to produce 
 correct results ; and in order further to clarify the 
 situation, he is told to raise his uvula and at the 
 same time to hold down his larynx. 
 
 A complete and authentic record of these and 
 similar, if not even more grotesque methods, all of 
 which are worse than useless, would fill many a 
 volume of interesting reading as bearing upon the 
 right and wrong principles. 
 
 It is sufficient for the present purposes to point 
 out the futility of such methods, and the positive 
 harm which is liable to accrue from all devices 
 which attempt directly to control the organ of
 
 122 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 sound, or any part of the physical mechanism of the 
 voice-producing apparatus, during phonation or 
 singing. Devices which have for their purpose the 
 controlling of the parts with some accompanying 
 consideration orregard for musical effect are vicious 
 and tantalizing, because the mechanical control 
 always obtrudes itself in a more or less offensive 
 manner and the cause of failure is not so apparent. 
 
 Devices which have for their purpose the control- 
 ling of the parts without regard for the musical 
 effect are at the same time the most ridiculous and 
 the most monstrous in their evil effects. On the 
 other hand, devices which have for their purpose 
 the bringing about of flexibility of the body, and 
 might be properly classified under the head of 
 physical culture, are generally commendable. The 
 knowledge and skill of the teacher here become 
 strong factors in the development. 
 
 The correct mental attitude and the proper 
 physical condition are the necessary requirements 
 for complete success. 
 
 " Support the tone," is one of the empirical 
 slogans of the old school, and to support the tone 
 
 is no more or less than to feed the tone with the 
 \
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 123 
 
 breath. Instead o'f instructing to support the 
 tone or feed the breath, the instruction generally 
 should be to sing the tone steadily and evenly. The 
 mind then conceives the effect desired, and the 
 breath actually feeds the tone automatically in re- 
 sponse to the idea of effect previously conceived. 
 The same mental process should obtain in the 
 consideration of the old empirical instruction, 
 " Sing on the breath." David D. Taylor, in his 
 " Psychology of Singing," points out very clearly 
 a common error in modern teaching in these words : 
 " Empirical knowledge is always applied in the 
 prevailing mechanical spirit. The attempt is 
 always made to translate the subconscious empiri- 
 cal understanding of the voice into rules for direct 
 mechanical management. Under the influence of 
 the mechanical idea, the modern teacher's most 
 valuable possession, empirical knowledge of the 
 voice, becomes utterly unserviceable." 
 
 Instead of instructing to sing on the breath, 
 the proper instruction would again be, " Sing 
 the tone steadily and evenly." The singer's 
 sensation would be the hearing of the tone, 
 steadily and evenly sung, the consciousness of
 
 124 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 vocal poise, and the appreciation of tonal balance. 
 
 The physiological consideration, if given to the 
 pupil as the initiative, frequently results again in 
 getting the cart before the horse. It generally has 
 succeeded, and it generally will succeed, most ad- 
 mirably in producing a miserable failure in the 
 working-out, because the principle is wrong; be- 
 cause it is diametrically opposed to the natural law 
 of the expression of human emotions. 
 COMMON ERRORS 
 
 Technical skill in singing comes from practice, 
 the same as is the case with other instruments 
 for the human voice may be considered as an instru- 
 ment; but practice does not always make perfect, 
 either with the voice or with the violin or piano. 
 It is the kind of practice, rather than the number 
 of hours given to it, which determines the result. 
 The vocal mechanism is the most difficult to under- 
 stand, because during singing the instrument can- 
 not be observed, and we know by experience that 
 the attempt to obtain direct management of the 
 muscular movements during singing is nothing 
 short of monstrous in its evil effects. 
 
 The general principle that there is one way in
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 125 
 
 which the voice must be handled during the prac- 
 tice of singing is essentially incorrect, because this 
 involves the attempt to compel the phenomena of 
 voice rather than to permit it to occur. Only when 
 the voice is permitted to act involuntarily in re- 
 sponse to the fiat of will, directed along the line of 
 effect desired, will it steadily grow in beauty and 
 ease and finally approximate technical perfection. 
 
 Fortunately, all teachers do not agree that the 
 voice must be handled in some way either spon- 
 taneous or instinctive in order to improve it. Ex- 
 pression in song is identical with expression in 
 speech, so far as conscious management of the 
 apparatus is concerned, and any attempt to deviate 
 from this principle is bound to be more or less 
 injurious. The more earnest the student, the more 
 disastrous the result under wrong thought and the 
 acceptance of principles which are not in accord 
 with natural laws. 
 
 Nevertheless, it is true that the prevailing 
 thought since the time of Garcia has been that the 
 voice must be managed by giving direct attention 
 to the management of the muscles involved, and
 
 126 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 this we may call the most destructive common error 
 of the day. 
 
 This error has been fruitful of more discord 
 than can ever be estimated. In fact, it has brought 
 about universal confusion. The gist of the matter 
 has been vainly sought through the agency of direct 
 local control of the parts involved ever since the 
 discovery of the laryngoscope in 1855. 
 
 History records that the empirical methods of 
 instruction were in use for the first one hundred 
 and fifty years, dating from the earliest records 
 of the old Italian school the year 1600 which 
 was simultaneous with the birth of Italian opera. 
 During this first century and a half o'f systematic 
 voice culture, history further records that progress 
 was uninterrupted as evidenced by successful 
 results. 
 
 In 1723, Tosi published the first known book 
 on the voice, the title of the work being " Osserva- 
 zioni Sopra il Canto Figurato " ; and three years 
 later Mancini published his " Practical Reflections 
 on the Canto Figurato." The principal informa- 
 tion of a specific nature regarding the voice 
 is embodied in their ideas about the registers.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 127 
 
 Tosi says that there are three registers, and 
 Mancini says there are only two; so it seems that 
 even at this early date disagreement prevailed as 
 to theory. In 1741, Ferrein, a French physician, 
 published a treatise on voice production, and there- 
 after a number of scientific investigators contrib- 
 uted to the literature of the day regarding the 
 mechanical operations of the voice; but the real 
 devastating mechanical school commenced in 1855. 
 
 In 1805 Manuel Garcia, the son of Manuel del 
 Popolo Viscenti, was born. He followed in the 
 footsteps of his father as a singer and teacher, 
 and in 1832 commenced his vocal studies. Being 
 of an inquisitive turn of mind, his scholarly in- 
 stincts were directed along the lines of investigation 
 regarding the subject closest to his heart. His 
 curiosity was aroused, and his genius for discovery 
 was made manifest in the evolution of the laryngo- 
 scope. 
 
 Garcia's estimate of the value of his discovery 
 has been spoken of in another chapter. Suffice 
 it to say that if Garcia had been warned not to 
 depart from the empirical mode of instruction in 
 singing, as Lot's wife was warned not to turn
 
 128 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 around in her flight, a good many present-day vocal 
 tragedies would have been obviated. As it was, 
 Garcia was the first to base practical instruction 
 in singing on scientific knowledge of the mechanism 
 of the voice, and thereby unwittingly precipitated 
 nearly as great a calamity upon the vocal world 
 as that which biblical history tells us befell Lot's 
 wife. 
 
 Present-day writers on the subject of voice cul- 
 ture are unanimous in their opinion that the old 
 empirical methods o'f instruction were sufficient 
 for the needs of olden times, but often deny the all- 
 sufficiency of such methods for modern needs. They 
 think that something has been lost. This is not 
 without some show of reason, for in the light of 
 known and acknowledged facts, the celebrities of 
 past decades were developed in this way, and 
 singers o'f to-day are not considered to have been 
 so developed. 
 
 " The Old Italian method of instruction, to which 
 vocal music owed its highest condition, was purely 
 empirical," says Emma Seiler in her book entitled 
 " The Voice in Singing " (1886). 
 
 The differences of opinion are now more pro-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 129 
 
 nounced than in the olden times, because under the 
 influence of the erroneous general principle of 
 mechanical guidance there is infinitely more oppor- 
 tunity for such variety of opinion. 
 
 The chaos that has resulted is but a natural 
 consequence of the opportunities for dissension 
 thus afforded. 
 
 In my observation, however, the delving into the 
 science of physiology for the satisfactory answer 
 to the eternal question is more prevalent in America 
 than in any country of Europe, although its in- 
 fluence is everywhere felt. 
 
 THE RESURRECTION OF THE " LOST 
 VOCAL ART " 
 
 IT is popularly supposed that at some time be- 
 tween the age of the great singers and the present 
 time the secret of the old art of successful voice 
 production was lost. The conjectures as to ex- 
 actly what this secret was have been numerous, 
 but all explanations as to what it was, and how and 
 when it was lost, have been unsatisfactory. 
 
 The physiological analysis of vocal phenomena 
 has been time and again proven absolutely inade-
 
 130 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 quate, and its present application to synthetic 
 methods has made it a misleading factor to the 
 
 O 
 
 point of becoming a positive menace to true vocal 
 art. Individual methods have been more or less 
 successful in developing voices, but for the most 
 part artists who have been developed by these 
 various methods have been unable to impart their 
 knowledge in such a way as to be practically effi- 
 cacious and universally successful even with stu- 
 dents who possessed the necessary musical talent 
 and natural voice. 
 
 The difficulties of overcoming what are known 
 as the breaks in the voice and the management of 
 the registers have been ever present. The develop- 
 ing of voices throughout their range, so as to pro- 
 duce easy and effective delivery of low, medium, 
 and high notes, possessing evenness as to beauty 
 of quality, power, and expressiveness, has presented 
 obstacles which have appeared to be well-nigh 
 insurmountable. 
 
 The mythical something known as " THE LOST 
 ART " is supposed to have been in successful oper- 
 ation years ago, and this loss is referred to as one 
 of the great, regrettable calamities of vocal history.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 131 
 
 If it could only be found, how surely present diffi- 
 culties would be overcome ! What an oasis would 
 spring up in the desert of forlorn vocal hopes and 
 ambitions ! All theoretical strife and discord would 
 cease, and unanimity of opinion would prevail 
 regarding the chief essentials in voice development. 
 Peace, harmony, and general vocal prosperity 
 would prevail. Lo the vocal millennium would be 
 at hand ! 
 
 Historians tell us truly that the old masters le'ft 
 no written records or instruction as to this wonder- 
 ful secret. The vital principle "which was seemingly 
 the fountain spring of universal success is appar- 
 ently a mythical something which is generally given 
 up as lost, and its life and deatjh. as an entity are 
 shrouded in deepest mystery. |We have nothing 
 left but the historical records of \? ork which is sup- 
 posed to have owed its success to the knowledge 
 of this unknown or unrecognizec 1 principle or 
 recipe. 
 
 It is a significant fact that the commencement 
 of the decline of the old successful schi^l was coin- 
 cidental with the commencement of wx'iat is now 
 known as scientific voice production, bathed upon
 
 132 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 the investigation of physiological facts. Tosi and 
 Mancini said nothing of these things, probably be- 
 cause their art did not rest upon knowledge of the 
 physiological phenomena. 
 
 Shortly before the advent of Garcia, various 
 attempts were made to establish a science of voice 
 production based on the knowledge of physiology. 
 This movement was given impetus by the use of 
 the laryngoscope, and Garcia's first belief was that 
 his discovery would be of incalculable value and 
 benefit in the synthesis of vocal development. Ex- 
 perience proved the contrary, and Garcia's own 
 opinion regarding its value to the vocal world was 
 materially changed before the end of his career. 
 
 Physiology, in its present accepted relation to 
 vocal art, must be consigned to its proper position 
 in the minds of men, and the true living principle 
 be reinstated. The sciences of acoustics, physi- 
 ology, and other kindred sciences have their analy- 
 tical corroborative value, but the bread of vocal 
 life past, present, and future was, is, and shall 
 be the science of psychology. 
 
 The many scientific works which have been writ- 
 ten informing us more or less correctly concerning
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 133 
 
 the conditions of body and of sound (acoustics) 
 during phonation, serve little purpose so far as the 
 advancement of practical voice building is con- 
 cerned. The old teachers did not know anything 
 about these things as such, and were blissfully 
 free from the influence of misapplied science of 
 later days. 
 
 Many of our modern singers and would-be 
 singers have given up the ghost in a vocal sense, 
 having been thrown to the crocodiles, or sacrificed 
 upon the altar of scientific investigation. 
 
 We departed from the empirical system of voice 
 training, being lured away by the glamor of a short 
 cut to vocal glory. This short cut was to be 
 made possible by the knowledge of physiological 
 conditions during song, as shown by analysis. This 
 paved the way for innumerable and useless contro- 
 versies concerning the scientific truth of such con- 
 ditions, and while the attention of the vocal world 
 was being directed to this presumable mine of Solo- 
 mon, the precious moments were fleeing. The re- 
 sult was lost time, or worse, for the individuals 
 engaged in these futile explorations. 
 
 We are returning worn and weary from pros-
 
 134 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 pecting, sadder but wiser men and women ; for we 
 have learned the exact location of the real treasure. 
 No more vocal sing-quick schemes should entice us 
 from the reliable path to vocal freedom. 
 
 The snares and delusions of the pseudo-scientists 
 and the beckonings of the true scientists, toward the 
 goal of knowledge with which we are not vocally 
 concerned, should alike be powerless to distract.our 
 attention. 
 
 Like the wise men of old, our eyes should be riv- 
 eted upon the bright particular star of our quest. 
 The constellations of the vocal firmament should 
 not longer beguile or blind us. We are now able 
 to proceed by the light of rightly applied science, 
 with no more interruption or aggravation or vexing 
 of spirit than those which are contingent upon the 
 experience and happenings of every wayfarer on 
 the road to learning and accomplishment. 
 
 Regarding the old Italian method, it is obvious 
 that the main idea was naturalness of expression, 
 coupled with sustained beautiful tone and agility, 
 perfected by years of training. Each voice was 
 exercised with particular reference to its natural 
 characteristic, known as its " genre" Evidence
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 135 
 
 that the cut-and-dried method for all voices was 
 not a part of the old Italian school or system, is 
 shown by Mancini in his historical sketch of these 
 schools. 4 He says that the most celebrated schools 
 which flourished for so long a time in Italy and were 
 still in existence at the end of the last century, 
 sent out many singers who were made famous not 
 only by their profession, but by the number of 
 new singers they made in return. To these they 
 transmitted in uninterrupted succession the beau- 
 ties of the art, In their own varied styles? 
 
 Speaking of the various great singers who were 
 
 4 Farinelli was perhaps the most distinguished pupil of 
 the school of Porpora. In 1727, when he was in Rome, he 
 met Bernacchi. 
 
 In a grand duo these rival singers sought to outdo each 
 other in the pouring forth of beautiful voice and in the 
 execution of difficult passages. Farinelli, owning his in- 
 feriority, requested Bernacchi to give him lessons, which 
 he did. This resulted in perfecting the voice of Farinelli. 
 He had seven or eight tones more than ordinary singers. 
 
 Mancini, in writing of his voice, says: "This voice was 
 thought a marvel because it was so perfect, so powerful, so 
 sonorous, and so rich in its extent that its equal has never 
 been heard." 
 
 Among the oldest and most successful singers and 
 teachers was Alessandro Scarlatti, born in Sicily in 1659. 
 He taught in Naples and Rome. 
 
 Scarlatti was considered the founder of the Neopolitan
 
 136 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 the shining lights of vocal art at the end of the 
 seventeenth century, Mancini says of the Chev. 
 Baldassare Ferri, born in Perugia : " He was pos- 
 sessed of a most beautiful, flexible, sweet, and 
 harmonious voice, and had the widest range one 
 ever heard. His contemporaries wrote that words 
 could not express the beauty of his voice and his 
 graceful manner of singing. He had to a high 
 degree all the necessary schooling in every style of 
 singing. He was joyful, -fierce, grave, and tender, 
 all at will. 
 
 " Again, Francesca Boschi, of Bologna, was a 
 celebrity of .such Intelligence that in Venice she was 
 baptized the * Musical Solomon.' 
 
 School. His most notable pupil was Porpora (1686-1767), 
 called the greatest singing master of that time. Porpora 
 was the teacher of Caffarelli, born in 1703, and of Farinelli, 
 born in 1705. 
 
 The first school of music in Italy was established in 
 Bologna ten years before the discovery of America, 1482. 
 
 Pistocchi (Bologna, 1700) was the teacher of the cele- 
 brated Pasta. 
 
 Francesco Tosi (1650-1730) was also trained at Bologna. 
 
 Manuel del Popolo Vicenti Garcia was born in 1775, at 
 Seville. He went to Italy in 1811 and was received as an artist 
 in Naples and Rome. There he met Anzani (1750), one of 
 the best tenors of the day. He had much to do with the elder 
 Garcia's further development as a singer and teacher.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 137 
 
 " Two other singers equally celebrated were Sif- 
 ace and Chev. Matteucci, who were considered 
 singular for their evenness of voice and interpreta- 
 tion. When eighty years of age, Matteucci was 
 still able to sing in any style, and preserved a voice 
 of such clarity and purity that, if he were not seen, 
 one would think him a singer in the flower of his 
 youth. Francesco Antonio Pistocchi taught many 
 great singers and teachers. One of his pupils was 
 Antonia Bernacchi, who taught in Bologna. Ber- 
 nacchi was the teacher of Mancini. He was said to 
 have possessed by nature a voice of only ordinary 
 calibre, not very good, but by persistent and pains- 
 taking endeavor, and strict attention to advice 
 
 O 
 
 given by Pistocchi, he developed a voice of great 
 beauty, extension and power. He became famous 
 as a singer in Italy, Germany, England, and par- 
 ticularly at the Bavarian court. Finally, Bernac- 
 chi became famous as a teacher. Among the other 
 celebrated pupils of Pistocchi were Antonio Pasi of 
 Bologna, Giambattista Mirelli and Annibale Pio 
 Fabri of the same city, and Bartolino di Faenza." 
 Mancini points out that the five celebrated pupils 
 of Pistocchi, although receiving their instruction
 
 138 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 from one teacher, had each an absolutely different 
 style, each one's style corresponding to his disposi- 
 tion and natural gifts. He states further that to 
 be a successful teacher of the voice one cannot have 
 only one way of instructing pupils. The teacher 
 must know many ways in which to handle his pupils, 
 and in order to train each individual he must know 
 the right remedy for each voice. 
 
 This is a strong argument against the general 
 supposition that some particular method, in its 
 generally accepted meaning, was in vogue in the 
 olden times. It does not, however, present an argu- 
 ment against the most probable fact, that the old 
 teachers followed a general principle which may 
 be scientifically explained as psychological rather 
 than physiological. 
 
 In the old schools the mental attitude determined 
 the results, and the mental attitude being directed 
 along the lines of idealization of effect, the physical 
 development followed as a natural consequence. 
 
 A striking example of the prevalent use of this 
 principle came under my observation during my 
 student days in Milan, Italy. It was my privilege 
 to hear the first five performances of " Pag-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 139 
 
 liacci " at the Dal Verme theatre. I attended the 
 opera pretty regularly, and was particularly inter- 
 ested in this production, as I was personally 
 acquainted with the composer, Leoncavallo. There 
 was a great deal of interest among the artists 
 concerning the methods of the leading tenor. The 
 young artist selected to create the role of Canto. 
 had had little stage experience. He had only 
 recently made his debut as Lohengrin at a 
 provincial theatre, and there was a good deal of 
 speculation as to the success he would make as 
 Camo. He appeared on the opening 1 night, and 
 made a distinct hit with the public singing with 
 what is known as the wide open white tone. When 
 he commenced the great lament, " Recitar mentre 
 preso dal delirio," the " open " effect was more 
 pronounced, and when he arrived at the " Ridi 
 Pagllacci sul tuo amore in franto," it did not seem 
 possible that he could finish the phrase with that 
 style of singing. 
 
 The large number of professional tenors who 
 were " at liberty," and who nightly congregated 
 in the rear of the theatre, momentarily expected to 
 hear Giraud crack and collapse. Giraud did noth-
 
 140 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 ing of the kind. He went right along singing, and 
 finished his engagement of a number of weeks. The 
 fact of the matter was that he had not unduly 
 opened his throat, although he had come danger- 
 ously near it. He had used the most extreme white 
 tone known in Italy, as a matter of taste in expres- 
 sion. In this particular opera, so full of excessive 
 passion and violence, the artistic portrayal of the 
 part permitted the vocal exaggeration. 6 
 
 One year later I heard Giraud in the opera 
 " I Lombardi." I was astonished at the apparent 
 change of voice; he was singing throughout the 
 opera " tutto chiuso" or what is known as the 
 closed tone in reality, the dark color of the 
 sombre voice. The style of singing was completely 
 changed. Giraud sang Pagliacci afterwards, and 
 again used the white color ; but not to the extreme 
 degree as at the time of his debut. 
 
 Taylor's work on the " Psychology of Singing " 
 is strong in the tearing-down of the principle of 
 
 8 M. Victor Maurel, that sterling artist, great as an actor 
 as well as a singer, created the role of Tonio. It was Maurel 
 who suggested the writing of the prologue as he reviewed 
 the opera before this most important number was written. 
 
 Maurel created Falstaf at La Scala in 1893. The writer had 
 the pleasure of hearing the first performance of the opera.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 141 
 
 the prevailing schools of mechanical vocal manage- 
 ment, but we find nothing in the history of vocal art 
 to support the avowed purpose of his work, i.e., 
 to prove the scientific soundness of instruction 
 by imitation. In fact, the direct instruction was 
 to avoid this very thing, on account of its tendency 
 to destroy individuality in the singer. 
 
 The statement is often heard that there are only 
 two ways of learning to sing the right way and 
 the wrong way. This is perfectly correct. The 
 right way is the skilful following out of the right 
 principle, and the wrong way is the attempt to 
 accomplish guided by wrong principles. The right 
 principle, then, is the striving toward a purely sub- 
 conscious physical activity, superinduced by a cor- 
 rect idealization of the effect to be produced. 
 
 The wrong principle is the striving toward a 
 conscious physical activity, directed toward the 
 process rather than the idealization of desired effect. 
 
 The fundamental principle the determining 
 force and chief characteristic of the successful old 
 Italian system of singing and teaching the voice 
 is thus satisfactorily explained. 
 
 The old masters trained their pupils by observ-
 
 142 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 ing and criticizing the sounds o'f the voice, and the 
 general effect produced by the singer. Inciden- 
 tally, the vocal organs were trained. The old 
 masters studied and taught the voice, the modern 
 masters study and teach the physical mechanism 
 of the vocal organs, and thereby hope to improve 
 the voice. This has been the fatal error. The 
 chasm between the two principles, which at first 
 seemed to be so small, so very narrow and inconse- 
 quential, gradually widened until the parting of 
 the ways, unnoticed at the time, was finally lost 
 sight of by succeeding generations of teachers and 
 singers. Then came the awakening to the fact 
 that something was wrong. The champions of this, 
 that, and the other favored theory or method vied 
 with each other, and chaos reigned. Every method 
 based upon the physiological idea of direct control 
 of muscular activity of one kind or another in 
 short, the primary training of the vocal apparatus, 
 instead of the training of the voice brought dis- 
 tress and failure as its major resultant. 
 
 The failure to comprehend the significance of the 
 difference between training the voice and thereby 
 training the vehicle of voice, as opposed to training
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 143 
 
 the vehicle of voice, thereby hoping to train the 
 voice, is the failure which has precipitated so many 
 vocal tragedies, which, no doubt, is the respon- 
 sible agent in chief of the discord and dissension, 
 and which has resulted in such a deplorable confus- 
 ion and distortion of the truth. 
 
 It has already been stated that the old success- 
 ful school of singing was empirical in its method. 
 This means that the observations of the sounds 
 of the voice presented the only basis of inquiry as 
 to the vocal conditions. The questions of adjust- 
 ment of that part of the organs of sound capable 
 of direct manipulation, did not enter into the 
 synthetic or building up process. 
 
 Studying the vocal mechanism was not a part 
 of the old system. The laws of their operation 
 were unknown, and therein perhaps was the safety 
 and surety of the old mode of procedure. There 
 is no greater exemplification of the fact that a little 
 knowledge is a dangerous thing, than is contained 
 in the evidence bearing on this subject. Tosi's 
 observation, " that the voice which is not well 
 produced seems to be choked in the throat," is an 
 example of calling attention to an undesirable con-
 
 144 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 dition from effect produced. The opposite of this 
 condition is that the voice really should not seem 
 to be choked in the throat. It is not natural to 
 choke the tone in the throat in spontaneous vocal 
 expression, hence the instruction " ca/nta nat- 
 urale," which means " sing naturally." 
 
 If the energy, influenced by the will powei, is 
 directed alone towards seeking a placement of the 
 voice mechanically, it is improperly directed. If, 
 on the other hand, the energy is directed princi- 
 pally towards delivering the message, it is then 
 properly directed and will make far better condi- 
 tions of sound. The first method represents the 
 building up of systematic artificiality in tone pro- 
 duction. This art of artificial tone production has 
 been brought to a very perfect condition in some 
 instances, but this highway 'frequently leads to 
 vocal injury. So far as the true art of self-expres- 
 sion is concerned, it frequently leads to a goal which 
 is not desirable or desired albeit that, to a certain 
 extent, beautiful tones, regarded as mere meaning- 
 less sounds, may oftentimes accompany the result. 
 In short, mechanical beauty, cold and crystalline, is 
 possible but not assured along this dangerous high-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 145 
 
 way. Hard, strident tones more frequently mark 
 the result, because the human voice is not and can- 
 not be treated as an instrument of wood or metal. 
 
 The Old School was right in principles, and so 
 far as it went, was sound in doctrine. The prin- 
 ciples of the Old School, however, were tempor- 
 arily discarded in the insane pursuit off results 
 along impossible lines impossible because in direct 
 violation of nature's laws. This fact was not dis- 
 covered until repeated failure to accomplish good 
 results along the new lines of procedure proved 
 to the vocal world that they were hot upon the 
 trail of an undesirable quarry. 
 
 Whether the theory that the quality of tone is 
 determined by the resonance cavities alone, or from 
 changes of the vocal cords as held by Professor 
 Scripture, should not be the chief point of con- 
 sideration to the vocalist. The mere belief in the 
 correctness or incorrectness of these various con- 
 clusions has little bearing upon the true synthesis 
 of correct voice-production. As has been said be- 
 fore, it is a very interesting study, this physio- 
 logical and anatomical analysis of vocal conditions 
 during phonation ; but, regarded as a helpful fac-
 
 146 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 tor in perfecting a system of vocal training, these 
 considerations must be used with discretion, even in 
 the hands of the " conoscienti." Generally speak- 
 ing, they resolve themselves into a formidable factor 
 militating against desirable or desired results. 
 THE CORRECT FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE 
 
 We have found that the fundamental principle 
 representing the backbone of the old and success- 
 ful school of singing was that which is known to 
 science as the psychological principle, the mental 
 consciousness of effect in vocal utterance being 
 the constant consideration and guide for the 
 singer. The idea of improvement through the de- 
 velopment of the physical powers by means of exer- 
 cises guided for the most part by musical concep- 
 tion and appreciation, was the actual though un- 
 named vital principle of thought and action. It 
 has been truly said that the old masters were not 
 aware of the scientific soundness of their position. 
 It was not skill of physical adjustment which was 
 sought, but rather obtained, as a consequence of 
 mental conception of effect desired. 
 
 The gradual and perfectly natural increase of 
 physical power, endurance, and general vocal abil-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 147 
 
 ity was the result. The effect conceived deter- 
 mined the character of the physical development 
 as a natural consequence. 
 
 Training a singer to meet the demands of music 
 written for the coloratura soprano, for instance, 
 meant practising scales, roulades, trills, etc., 
 which would naturally develop agility in execu- 
 tion. The tenor and soprano leg.giero, were 
 trained in a similar manner. Other voices were 
 trained more especially by means of exercises more 
 sustained in character. Breath-control was a 
 consequence of exercises of long-sustained vocal 
 phrases, but be it remembered that the development 
 of breath-control was purely a consequence. If 
 the singer during the period of training could not 
 sustain a phrase to its end, he was never told to 
 conserve his breath. He was told to do those 
 things, which actually brought about the most 
 favorable physical condition for breath supply. 
 
 He then continued practising different exercises 
 and solfeggi, which gradually developed the breath- 
 ing muscles, and consequently sustaining ability. 
 None of this heritage is lost. The various books of 
 exercises with and without words are available now
 
 148 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 as they have always been. Method in its old signifi- 
 cance was merely the arrangement of graded exer- 
 cises adopted by various teachers, and which were 
 sung in a manner to satisfy the ear of the master. 
 
 The term " method " arrived at the point of 
 serious and dangerous significance when the vari- 
 ous schools of local mechanical adjustment of the 
 physical parts involved commenced to be consid- 
 ered as a principle of development. 
 
 The principle proved the undoing of the vocal 
 world. The living principle was sidetracked and 
 forgotten. In the place of natural expression, the 
 principle of mechanical guidance was introduced 
 as the preparatory measure. It proved to be a 
 weed of evil influence which grew steadily until the 
 virtuous stalk of direct idealism of effect was 
 nearly choked. It is of vital importance that this 
 weed be pulled up by the roots and forever dis- 
 carded to be used neither as a preparatory meas- 
 ure nor as an assisting agent. In either capacity, 
 it is a detriment to true vocal progress. The degree 
 of the evil influence can be measured only by the 
 amount of dependence placed upon its efficacy, and 
 the amount of time spent in considering its effect.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 149 
 
 As has been pointed out, some singers succeed 
 in spite of it, and even endorse the systems which 
 include the acceptance of these same pernicious doc- 
 trines. Such singers have signally failed to grasp 
 their true significance. The good has outweighed 
 the evil in the general working-out, and they have 
 succeeded, to a certain extent, in spite of the 
 retarding stultifying influence of these doctrines. 
 
 Even so, the probabilities are that the same 
 artists would find an immense relief in the matter 
 of vocal effort, as well as immense improvement 
 in vocal effect, if they were to differentiate more 
 carefully. The effect off what is known as a mere 
 cultivated, well-placed and expressive voice is much 
 more readily acquired without mechanical guid- 
 ance: this without reference to the immeasurable 
 untold suffering and error, evidenced by the pre- 
 mature breaking-down of the voices, superinduced 
 by its influence. 
 
 Properly speaking, methods are systematic 
 means of acquiring skill in singing, and are pri- 
 marily good or bad according to the underlying 
 principles by which they are governed. The resur- 
 rection of the lost vocal art is possible in every
 
 150 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 vocal studio, simply by a reversion to the true 
 living principle and the extermination of these 
 false principles. The individual methods will then 
 mean the various arrangements of vocal exercises to 
 meet the requirements of the individual case, and 
 the use of devices to produce the necessary physical 
 elasticity. Success will then depend upon the skill 
 of the teacher, and the receptability of the pupil. 
 
 With the general recognition of correct under- 
 lying principles, the race for supremacy would be 
 fully as exciting and interesting and be attended 
 by far better results. Comparative success would 
 then be a matter of skill, resulting from experience 
 in the working-out of the same principles, and not 
 in the working-out of different principles. 7 
 
 The secret of success, then, in using or training 
 the voice, lies primarily in the skilful use of the cor- 
 
 7 At a recent meeting of a well-known medical society 
 an exhibition was given by exponents of the avowedly physio- 
 logical school and their pupils. In the opinion of a number 
 of well-known singers who were present, the results of their 
 efforts were, to say the least, unsatisfactory. 
 
 At the close of the meeting a distinguished impresario and 
 conductor remarked to the writer: "It was awful! There 
 wasn't a decent tone made here to-day" an opinion in 
 which the audience generally concurred.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 151 
 
 rect principle, easily within the grasp of all. The 
 practical activities in the Old School consisted in 
 the training of the singer's ear to detect in the 
 sounds of his own voice the desirable and the 
 undesirable character of tones, and in the training 
 of the ear to detect in the sounds of other voices the 
 same undesirable and desirable character of tones. 
 This comprehended a system of subjective and ob- 
 jective study. During this period the judgment 
 of tonal effect was developed, and the ear of the 
 singer was eventually the final court of appeal. 
 
 The old masters and singers were fully aware of 
 the fact that the singer is at first incapable of 
 correctly estimating the value of his own voice as 
 to the quantity or quality, and hence the entire de- 
 pendence of the singer upon the judgment of the 
 master. By constant attention to the advice of the 
 master, the singer's ear was educated to the 
 recognition of both good and bad effects. The 
 power of discrimination in the effect of their own 
 voices was thus established. Coincidentally, famil- 
 iarity with the physical effect upon the singer 
 himself during the production of his own voice
 
 152 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 was an added factor in the consciousness of right 
 and wrong production. 
 
 The singer's sensation during song was a sup- 
 plementary means of determining right and wrong 
 conditions. In this way his judgment was devel- 
 oped : he learned by experience. 
 
 Careful attention to correct intonation and tone 
 quality throughout the exercises, from single sus- 
 tained tones to the most elaborate musical figures, 
 was constantly enforced by the master, but never 
 directed to the process of the physical phenomena. 
 
 Herein lies the difference between the successful 
 empirical system of the Old School and the 
 mechanical systems of the present day. It is not 
 a surprising development in the progress of voice 
 culture that the idea of mechanical adjustment 
 gradually superseded the empirical system. Here 
 was something new under the sun ! Here was a short 
 cut to the goal desired ! Here was a knowledge of 
 something which appeared on the surface to have a 
 direct and intimate relation to vocal art ! It took 
 time and a long try-out to discover that a serpent 
 had crept into the garden of the vocal Eden, and it 
 has taken time to realize that the effect of the fatal
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 153 
 
 step is analogous to the effect of original sin. 
 
 During this period of gradual change of prin- 
 ciple the devastating effect was not immediately 
 discernible. It acted as a sort of slow poison. 
 The feeling of conscious direct control of the 
 parts at first lent a feeling of security which 
 was grateful to the singer. The combination 
 of the mechanical idea, and the intuitive prompt- 
 ings of the singer towards wholesome expression, 
 presented, as it still presents, a curious inter- 
 mingling of evil and good. The elemental charac- 
 ter of effect attending the strict following out of 
 each of these principles has been plainly shown 
 to be decidedly favorable to the automatic adjust- 
 ment of the parts under the system employed by 
 the Old School ; but under the fantastic hallucina- 
 tion that mechanical guidance was to be an assist- 
 ing factor in the making of a singer, the evil in- 
 fluence gradually worked its way insidiously into 
 the general constructive scheme. 
 
 The art of mechanical guidance became a fine 
 art, but at a cost of wear and tear upon the vocal 
 mechanism, which resulted in the early breaking
 
 154 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 down of voices, in harshness of quality, and in a 
 mistaken conception of real vocal power. 
 
 The art of fine expression commenced to lose 
 its place in the general result. Teachers and sing- 
 ers experienced a difficulty in adjusting or plac- 
 ing the voices heretofore unknown at this juncture. 
 Getting the voice in the right place was deemed to 
 be the necessary preliminary step to artistic expres- 
 sion, and ever since the vocal world seems to have 
 blindly accepted this order of procedure. 
 
 This is when the cart was formally placed be- 
 fore the horse resulting 1 in the grotesque or tragic 
 position of many vocal students of to-day. The 
 psychological principle is the something which has 
 been lost so frequently referred to by the earnest 
 seekers after truth and contemporaneous writers. 
 This is the light of past ages that has become dim 
 by non-use. This is the lamp that must be trimmed 
 and kept burning, that its rays may shed effulgence 
 in the dark places of the vocal world, illuminating 
 the paths which lead to the estate of ideal vocal 
 conditions, unsullied and unhampered by the accu- 
 mulated clouds of error ever ready to carry the 
 message of the mind and the soul.
 
 PART II
 
 THE SYNTHESIS OF VOICE PRODUCTION 
 
 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS IN PRACTICAL VOICE- 
 BUILDING 
 
 IN preparing a practical synthetic system of 
 vocal development, it is advisable to point out 
 clearly at the outset that no two voices can be 
 trained in exactly the same manner, for the reason 
 that all voices possess either different defects, or 
 the same defects in different degrees. All vocal 
 combinations are different in different voices. 
 Method must be utilized by the singer and teacher 
 to meet the requirements of each individual case. 
 
 Voices should be tonally trained in the musical 
 scale, from the natural conversational tones of the 
 speaking voice generally from the highest easy- 
 speaking tone downward, and then from the 
 lowest tone upward, taking care that the exten- 
 sion exercises should be graduated. At no time 
 should the voice be forced upward or downward, 
 beyond the pitch of comfortable delivery. 
 
 In this way the normal, natural development 
 
 157
 
 158 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 will take place in the most satisfactory manner. 
 The moment the ear of the teacher detects a tone 
 in the least degree strident or unpleasant, the fact 
 should be pointed out, in order that the pupil shall 
 not form the habit of accepting in his own voice 
 a tone quality which is undesirable. 
 
 The relation of the singing and the speaking 
 voice is so intimate that it is well to remember 
 that the expressive singing voice is identical with 
 the expressive speaking voice. In the words of 
 Dr. Fillebrown of Harvard University, the only 
 difference is, " that the singing voice is sustained, 
 and changed from one pitch to another by definite 
 intervals, over a wide compass that includes notes 
 not attempted in speech. 
 
 " In speaking, tone is unsustained, not defined 
 in pitch, and the length of the tone is not gov- 
 erned by the measure of music." 
 
 Dr. Morrell MacKenzie's saying that " singing 
 is a help to good speaking, as the greater includes 
 the less," is a point well taken ; and it is also true 
 that good speaking is a help to good singing. This 
 is a fact well worth remembering, as it is of con-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 159 
 
 stant educational value in developing the singing 
 voice. 
 
 The careless mumbling of words in ordinary 
 conversation is in itself not only most reprehensible, 
 but it acts as a positive detriment to the progress 
 of the singing voice, and to the singer's art of 
 distinct delivery of words in song. 
 
 In song, words and music are inseparable, one 
 is a concomitant part of the other, and bad habits 
 of careless articulation, enunciation, and pronun- 
 ciation are formidable factors militating against 
 the vocal interests of the singer. 
 
 It is of the greatest importance also to remem- 
 ber that the art of singing is an art of self-expres- 
 sion from beginning to end, and this fact should be 
 observed, kept constantly in mind at every stage 
 of training. The moment we forget the fact, we 
 are in danger of degenerating into vocal artifi- 
 ciality. 
 
 Regarding the classification o'f voices, they clas- 
 sify themselves under a healthy and normal system 
 of voice culture, provided that the exercises given 
 are properly graded. Commencing with the nat- 
 ural speaking voice, the outline of the true singing
 
 160 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 voice forms itself as unmistakably as the develop- 
 ment of a photographic film. 
 
 TERMINOLOGY 
 
 The terminology of various schools of singing 
 extant has been criticised by some writers as in- 
 definite and as having no meaning. This criti- 
 cism is in a certain sense just that is, when the 
 terminology conveys no meaning to the student. 
 
 Terms which cannot be clearly comprehended 
 or understood should be avoided, on account of 
 the confusion which may result in the mind of 
 the student. What may be called psychological 
 or empirical terminology is important if properly 
 applied, and such terminology is perfectly admis- 
 sible. As a rule, it is more desirable than physio- 
 logical terminology, inasmuch as singing is more 
 psychological than physiological. It is only neces- 
 sary that an understanding exist between teacher 
 and pupil as to the meaning of the term, relative 
 to its practical bearing on what is required. 
 
 Terminology, properly applied, is nothing more 
 nor less than a code, or kind of shorthand communi- 
 cation, and is useful in order to facilitate the work. 
 
 It is enough that the student understand what
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 161 
 
 the teacher means. Any part of a cut-and-dried 
 terminology which conveys no meaning to the stu- 
 dent, and which the student vainly tries to com- 
 prehend, results only in a vague, hazy mental con- 
 dition not productive of good results. Such terms 
 should speedily be changed to a mode of expression 
 which can be grasped by the student, as evidenced 
 by successful results in practical application. 
 
 If a term conveys the idea which proves fruitful 
 of particularly good results, there is every reason 
 to believe that it is wise to use that term or expres- 
 sion so long as it serves its purpose. 
 
 The vocabulary of terms in common use could 
 be reduced advantageously to all concerned, and 
 the work of voice-building brought to a much more 
 easy and satisfactory basis as a consequence of 
 such reduction. The old Italian precepts which 
 are traditional have been in a measure summed up 
 as follows: 
 
 " Sing on the breath." 
 
 " Open the throat." 
 
 " Sing the tone forward." 
 
 " Support the tone." 
 
 Taylor in his " Psychology of Singing " gives
 
 162 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 a very complete and lucid explanation of the gen- 
 eral thought o'f the day regarding these traditional 
 precepts, which shows that their interpretation 
 as they stand depends entirely upon the viewpoint. 
 They admit of a wide diversity of opinion as to 
 their practical meaning, and although these slogans 
 still obtain in nearly all modern vocal studies, their 
 interpretation is as diversified as possible, viewed 
 in the light of practical results. 
 
 These precepts of the old Italian School can be 
 best understood by those who have had practical 
 experience as students under the Italian masters 
 themselves, or their disciples ; to the layman, they 
 are, in fact, almost unintelligible. 
 
 When Lamperti, the famous teacher, said, 
 " La voce che non e appoyiata, sul petto non va," 
 he referred to the consciousness of chest vibra- 
 tions during phonation. This consciousness is 
 most pronounced in the lower voice, less in the 
 medium, and still less in the upper voice. 
 
 The construction put upon these terms by the 
 writer has been set forth in a previous chapter, 
 and has been referred to as the weakness, not the 
 strength, of the old Italian School, 'for the reason
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 163 
 
 that the terms are capable of too many construc- 
 tions put upon their meaning. 
 
 A strong factor of the old Italian School was 
 undoubtedly the practical demonstrations of the 
 Maestri. In this way they made their meaning 
 clear. Pupils were not asked to imitate the mas- 
 ter, but by hearing the master produce the tone 
 they more readily acquired the mode. This might 
 be called intuitive absorption of how to accomplish 
 results rather than imitation as the art of 
 mimicry. 
 
 " Singing on the breath " and " supporting the 
 tone " mean practically the same thing. As to 
 "singing the tone forward," the natural production 
 of the voice is forward, providing that the breath 
 having been properly taken, is allowed to pour out 
 the breath is not wilfully controlled in exit. 
 ,The open throat is an explanatory term, and should 
 never be used as a constructive principle, because 
 a part of the throat actually opens properly in 
 response to the putting into effect of the desire 
 to produce words or vowels without restraint. The 
 old Maestri more often said, " Open the mouth " 
 not " Open the throat." This latter was a result.
 
 164 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 The terminology which has resulted in such con- 
 fusion to students and teachers alike is the attempt 
 to make use constructively of terms which can be 
 properly used only analytically. 
 
 REGISTERS 
 
 The consideration of changes of register in the 
 voice is important on account of the general failure 
 to comprehend the significance of normal and nat- 
 ural changes of register as distinguished from 
 abnormal and unnatural changes. 
 
 To will a change o'f registers is to depart from 
 the theory that registers change automatically in 
 response to natural law, incidental to pitch and 
 character of expression. It eliminates the pri- 
 mary psychological factor as the means of most 
 successful accomplishment in the musical expres- 
 sion of an idea. 
 
 These changes of register are incidental in 
 speech, exactly as in song. They are constantly 
 noticeable in the voices of well trained orators or 
 actors. Those who were fortunate enough to have 
 heard the voice of the Italian tragedian, Tommaso
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 165 
 
 Salviui, will particularly appreciate the truth of 
 this statement. 
 
 Every change of register which is brought about 
 by compelling a phenomenon, such as wilfully 
 carrying the register up or down, is driving a nail 
 in the artificial construction of voice, so prevalent. 
 On the other hand, every change of register which 
 occurs as a physical sequence to tone idealism, and 
 coincidentally with the natural expression of ideas, 
 is forging the correct chain of natural, normal, 
 enduring voice. 
 
 To raise the uvula or to lower it wilfully during 
 song represents a device consistent with the scheme 
 of voice production based upon physiological prin- 
 ciples, which must be uncompromisingly con- 
 demned. As a physical exercise, it has been con- 
 sidered a good thing to raise and lower the uvula, 
 and to raise and lower the base of the tongue, by 
 voluntarily opening the pharynx: what is com- 
 monly called " opening the throat." 
 
 If you stand before a mirror and command your- 
 self to open the mouth, and then to open the back 
 of the mouth, so that under observation the tip of 
 the tongue is found to touch the lower teeth, and
 
 166 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 the back of the tongue to lower itself and the uvula 
 to rise and to fall, all in response to the will (to 
 open the pharynx so that you can look down your 
 own throat), you may be performing a useful exer- 
 cise in promoting muscular elasticity of the organs. 
 The organ may then be in a better condition to 
 respond to the will to sing a free tone on an open 
 vowel, or to sing a free tone on a closed vowel. 
 However, in connection with this subject, it is best 
 to consider that unless special difficulties, as evi- 
 denced by effect, are encountered, these special 
 muscular exercises are not advisable. 8 
 
 The tongue is perhaps the most important mem- 
 ber of the physical part of speech. An unruly 
 tongue is a formidable adversary to success, In 
 more ways than one. 
 
 In singing, the tongue, instead of being mobile 
 as it always should be, frequently becomes quite 
 the opposite. Tongue stiffness is generally a 
 sympathetic stiffness, caused by the habit of direct 
 
 8 " Speaking generally, the soft palate should be kept in 
 a negative state, that is, there should be an absolute lack 
 of tension of the muscles composing and surrounding it, 
 that it may properly perform its real function that of tun- 
 ing the resonating cavities of the mouth and nose." CUBTIS.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 167 
 
 and purposeful muscular control of tone or breath 
 or both. Under normal healthy conditions, the 
 tongue should be as pliable and as supple, and as 
 ready to respond to correct pronunciation of words 
 in song, as in speech. Such, however, is generally 
 not the case. 
 
 A stiff and immobile tongue is an ever present 
 accompaniment of totally or partially incorrect 
 tone. Sometimes rolling the r is an excellent exer- 
 cise for promoting desirable flexibility of the 
 tongue. For instance speak the words " frail " and 
 " fragile " as in ordinary conversation. There is no 
 particular occasion for rolling the r in order to 
 make ourselves perfectly intelligible; but, never- 
 theless, a slight rolling of the r will result in con- 
 centration of the following vowels and in producing 
 a more distinct utterance, desirable in speaking 
 and singing in a large auditorium. It is there- 
 fore commendable both as an exercise and as a 
 means of expression. In delivering the Italian text 
 it is quite indispensable. 
 
 An exaggeration of the rolling of the r is also 
 permissible, as testing the ability to use this mode 
 of expression. Ordinarily, the effect would justly
 
 168 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 create the impression of affectation in speech ; but 
 in certain forms of expressions, such as might be 
 useful in presenting a tragedy or comedy part, such 
 exaggeration would be perfectly legitimate and 
 artistic. 
 
 The exercise of pronouncing words with the 
 prefix of I and n is beneficial in bringing about 
 the same flexibility of the tongue as lo, lay, 
 loo, lee, lah, etc. In the general study of songs, 
 
 i 
 
 no nay noo nee nah Articulate well, 
 lo lay loo lee lah 
 
 words and music are of equal importance. It is 
 an excellent plan first to pronounce distinctly the 
 words of the text in a quiet manner as in ordinary 
 conversation, then to pronounce the same words in 
 an emphatic manner. Then invest the phrase with 
 the musical attribute of sustained pitch it then 
 becomes song. If the sustaining of the vowel 
 sounds is uninterrupted, and these vowel sounds 
 merge one into the other, it becomes a phrase, 
 characterized as " legato." If these vowel sounds 
 are distinctly interrupted, and are sung with short,
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 169 
 
 sharp enunciation, the phrase becomes a staccato 
 phrase. 
 
 The cart before the horse is in evidence when the 
 instruction is given to hold the tongue immovable 
 until the vowel is finished, and the reason for such 
 instruction is given, " as otherwise another sound 
 will creep in." The proper instruction would be 
 to sustain the sound with strict attention to the 
 maintaining of the unchangeableness of the vowel 
 character to the very end. 
 
 It will then be found that the tongue will remain 
 motionless during such phonation, as a natural 
 consequence. This is illustrative of another com- 
 mon error, according to scientific principles. 
 
 Willing the process is a wrong mode of pro- 
 cedure ; willing the effect is right. " The act of will 
 is a spiritual act, and is conscious in its origin, but 
 not in its physical processes. Its results are made 
 manifest to consciousness through a sense : we will 
 to move we see the movement." (Lunn.) Like- 
 wise, we will to express by song or speech, and we 
 hear the sounds of the voice. 
 
 As a rule, students have to be taught what is 
 and is not good in the sounds of their own voices.
 
 170 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 Every effective method of training the voice 
 properly must have for one of its important com- 
 ponent parts the training of the singer's ear to 
 listen to his or her own voice, and to become famil- 
 iar with the physical sensations accompanying 
 correct tone production. 
 
 The true tone, expressing any emotion of the 
 human mind, admits of a wide variety of tone color- 
 ing and tonal power, but is never accompanied by 
 a conscious local strain or restraint from pianis- 
 simo to fortissimo sustained singing, in the crescen- 
 dos or diminuendos, or in the tone coloring incident 
 to the natural expression of any emotion. 
 
 The ear of the expert voice trainer must be 
 unerring in detecting faults, and it is the experi- 
 ence of all successful voice teachers that the student 
 at first frequently rejects in his own voice that 
 which he accepts as good in other voices and vice 
 "versa, accepts, sometimes with extreme self-com- 
 placency, the very thing in his own voice which he 
 rightly considers wrong in the voices of others. 
 Here is where the truly competent vocal teacher 
 shows his worth. 
 
 Ease of delivery, though an absolutely necessary
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 171 
 
 characteristic of correct voice production, is not 
 by any means the only factor to be considered. Re- 
 laxed, breathy tonal work is easy but ineffective, 
 unconvincing, and means nothing in vocal art. 
 
 The laws of psychology governing true voice 
 production are easy to understand, but unfor- 
 tunately have never received sufficient attention 
 from vocal teachers and singers. 
 
 These laws being understood, the proper mental 
 attitude toward the psychological and physiologi- 
 cal influences now becomes of paramount impor- 
 tance. 
 
 The curse of the very prevalent mechanical sys- 
 tem of voice building, which has proved so generally 
 disastrous to good results, has been the persistent 
 attempt on the part of teachers to train the voice 
 by direct attention to the governing of one or more 
 of the physical parts ; true enough these are in use 
 functionally, but when correctly used are gov- 
 erned indirectly by an all-wise and most wonderful 
 law of nature, which provides that the various parts 
 shall act coordinately and involuntarily, in response 
 to the fiat of will to express thoughts and ideas of
 
 172 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 any meaning or emotional intensity, and without 
 local guidance or restraint. 
 
 Strict attention to enunciation, pronunciation, 
 and distinct articulation in speech should go hand 
 in hand, if not precede exercises in sustained tones, 
 scales, and florid vocalization in the vocal cur- 
 riculum. 
 
 In this way much of the rigid muscular vocal 
 misery of singers would be avoided. 
 
 Too many students and singers have what may 
 be classified as a perverted ear due for the most 
 part to becoming accustomed to the sound of their 
 own voices singing meaningless tones. 
 
 In an article which appeared in the Laryngo- 
 scope, St. Louis, April, 1908, Dr. G. Hudson 
 Makuen, the eminent laryngologist, says : " The 
 faculty of hearing in so far as it relates to the 
 faculty of speech may be divided into two classes, 
 subjective hearing and objective hearing. 
 
 " By the former is meant the hearing of one's 
 own speech at the time of its production by the 
 natural organs, and by the latter is meant the 
 hearing of the speech of others and the reproduc- 
 tion of one's own speech, as in the phonograph.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 173 
 
 " That there should be a difference in these two 
 classes of hearing is apparent when we consider 
 their physiology. In subjective hearing the sound 
 waves are received not only through the external 
 auditory canal by air conduction, and through the 
 external bones of the head, but also and in large 
 measure directly from the organs of speech 
 through the Eustachian tube, and through what 
 may be called internal bone conduction. 
 
 " In objective hearing the sound waves are con- 
 ducted through the external auditory canal, 
 through the bones of the head, and to some extent 
 also through the Eustachian tube, but the direct 
 effect of the actual vibrations in the laryngeal, oral, 
 and nasal cavities so manifest in subjective hearing 
 is entirely lacking. 
 
 " In addition to these physical differences be- 
 tween subjective and objective hearing, there is a 
 less tangible, but no less actual psychical differ- 
 ence. A man hears the speech of others with a 
 more or less critical ear, while to his own speech he 
 turns a tolerant and even approving ear." Dr. 
 Makuen concludes his interesting and important 
 article by saying: " Hearing in its finality is a
 
 174 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 mental process, and, like all mental processes, it is 
 susceptible to training. It is in many respects 
 analogous to the sense of sight, We hear in great 
 measure what we have learned to hear, and what we 
 desire or will to hear, and it is of prime impor- 
 tance that we learn to hear ourselves aright, be- 
 cause the inability to do this leads to grave defects 
 of voice and speech . . ." 
 
 THE PROVINCE OF THE VOICE 
 SPECIALIST 
 
 WHILE it may be a fact capable of demonstration 
 beyond peradventure that, under certain mental 
 and physical conditions, a certain line of thought 
 and action will develop uniformly desirable vocal 
 form for all singers, it is undeniably true that 
 under conditions which may be described as faulty 
 these same lines of thought and action, though 
 thoroughly admirable and commendable in them- 
 selves, may prove to be totally inadequate in 
 accomplishing its purpose. Under such conditions, 
 special treatment is generally necessary, and it is 
 quite possible that ideas and activities, seemingly 
 antagonistic to the general approved outline of
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 175 
 
 theory and practice, may be safely advanced and 
 exercised. In cases where the student has erron- 
 eous ideas as to the character of his tones, resulting 
 possibly from long indulgence in faulty vocal effort, 
 which has finally resulted in fixed habits of thought 
 and action, producing what he believes to be good 
 results, but which are in reality quite the opposite, 
 it may be necessary to administer restoratives and 
 treatment, which under more favorable conditions 
 would be unnecessary. Then is when the skill and 
 experience of the voice specialist is most valuable - 
 in fact, indispensable. 
 
 The correct physical activities of a singer may 
 be dwarfed, undeveloped from non-use, or abnormal 
 muscular development may have been acquired. 
 The musical sense of the beauty of his own voice 
 may have become sadly distorted, possibly to such 
 an extent that he is oblivious to the fact that he is 
 uttering vocal sounds which are entirely at variance 
 with even his own ideas of beauty or legitimate 
 power as he would judge them if uttered by any 
 one but himself. Under such circumstances, it 
 becomes necessary for the singer to be brought 
 to a realization of these tonal defects, and in order
 
 176 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 to accomplish, this, it may be necessary for the 
 teacher to make use of devices to promote and cor- 
 rect the physical activities, as well as direct the 
 mind along certain lines which would be entirely 
 superfluous as general treatment. The tempera- 
 ment, plane of thought, general intelligence as well 
 as musical intelligence of the student, are also 
 matters of prime consideration in determining the 
 treatment. 
 
 The voice specialist has a tremendous field in 
 which to operate, and his responsibilities are grave 
 as influencing the careers of singers. Without 
 doubt, he himself must be a singer of experience 
 and attainments none other is fit to occupy this 
 field. Moreover, his ear must be educated to the 
 sound of perfect and imperfect tones in the voices 
 of others, and He must possess knowledge of means 
 and devices to correct the various defects as they 
 are encountered in the voices intrusted to his care. 
 He must know from the sound of the voice the 
 specific cause of peculiar defects. His ideals must 
 be the result of knowledge and experience, that the 
 realization of these ideals may be made manifest 
 in the voice of his pupil.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 177 
 
 A slight cold, if neglected, may result in serious 
 disease, and perhaps death. A slight defect in 
 vocal delivery may likewise develop tonal disease 
 and eventually vocal death. 
 
 It is of the greatest moment that the field of 
 vocal instruction should be more carefully guarded 
 from intrusion by the charlatans and blissfully 
 ignorant vocal teachers. At the present time it is 
 an open pasture, in which graze the competent and 
 the incompetent, with equal privileges, so far as 
 any restriction is concerned. 
 
 To arrive at the goal of vocal freedom by the 
 vocal artist, years of faithful attention are re- 
 quired. Vocal artists are not born, but made by 
 slow process. Many miss the highway altogether 
 and wander helplessly through the byways of vocal 
 effort, or through the maze of vocal literature, 
 accomplishing nothing. The chief cause of failure 
 by those originally possessing the necessary voice 
 and musical ability may be traced to first vocal 
 instruction at the hands of incompetent teachers. 
 
 What may be accomplished in the future by 
 way of correcting these existing conditions in the 
 vocal field is problematical. The need for lawful
 
 178 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 restriction is evidenced by the vast army of vocal 
 sufferers, but a practical solution of the difficulty 
 does not seem to be at Hand. Special education 
 of teachers, and the general education of the pub- 
 lic, are the only possible means at the present time. 
 The greatest difficulty in preparing the way for a 
 rigid censorship of those who shall be admitted 
 to the field of practice in vocal art is encountered 
 at the very outset. The question as to what per- 
 son or persons may be recognized as authority on 
 this subject, and who may constitute a board of 
 examiners to determine who may and who may not 
 be permitted to teach, is one on which it would be 
 difficult to agree. The state should stand in author- 
 ity, but the state must act intelligently or not at 
 all. Otherwise, grave complications may arise 
 and immeasurable injustice be done to worthy 
 vocal teachers. 
 
 The curious intermingling of right and wrong 
 endeavors on the part of teachers presents a com- 
 plex situation. The question of an authoritative 
 adjustment which would promote the growth of 
 right influences on the vocal world, without inflict- 
 ing hardships upon the workers whose efforts are
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 179 
 
 along the right line, is one which demands careful 
 scrutiny. It is, nevertheless, a question which 
 imperatively demands a solution. This fact is 
 thoroughly realized by the comparatively small 
 force of really competent vocal teachers of the 
 day. 
 
 Let us look back to the year 1777 and see how 
 Mancini, the celebrated singing master at the 
 imperial court of Vienna, thought and taught. In 
 his " Practical Reflections on the Figurative Art 
 of Singing " he shows that the principal work in 
 cultivating the voice was accomplished by exercises 
 in the messa di voce, trillo, portamento di voce, and 
 exercises covering the various musical intervals, 
 in both legato and staccato modes. In speaking of 
 the voice he says : " The voice forms itself in the 
 mouth by the flux created by the air in passing 
 through the vocal organs, in the act of inspiration 
 and expiration." Of course, Mancini did not mean 
 in the act of inspiration. " The air from the lungs 
 acts upon the larynx in singing just as it acts upon 
 the head of a flute that is leaned to the lips for 
 playing. The voice, so to speak, suspends itself in 
 descending from the highest to the lowest tones."
 
 180 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 Again, " We find sometimes voices that are very 
 strong, and whose sound is vigorous, bright and 
 liquid. Others are flexible and sweet. Some voices 
 have wide range and are exceedingly sonorous," 
 etc., etc., etc. The consideration in Mancini's 
 work is for the most part of voice in effect; and 
 the above is about the extent of the attempt to 
 analyze conditions. 
 
 Imitation was used to a considerable extent as 
 a means of correcting vocal defects. Says Man- 
 cini : " The easiest way, and the one by which I 
 have had good results, is to give the student the 
 evidence of his error; and to this end the teacher 
 Himself must faithfully reproduce the defect of the 
 student." 
 
 It is probable that such information is respon- 
 sible for the deductions of certain theorists that 
 success in vocal teaching in olden times depended 
 upon the teacher's ability to imitate sounds which 
 were undesirable as observed in the voices of pupils, 
 thus pointing out the wrong effect; likewise upon 
 the teacher's ability to produce correct tones, thus 
 furnishing a model for the pupil to imitate. 
 
 While it is undoubtedly true that the old methods
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 181 
 
 of voice-training were in a way imitative, it is also 
 to be inferred, from the various records of the past, 
 that the imitative art, if we are to so consider it, 
 must have been an imitative art in the broadest 
 understanding of the term, and not a purposeful 
 imitation as in mimicry. 
 
 For, further as Mancini writes, " Singers must 
 always pay attention not to acquire that common 
 fault of imitating too closely what they see and 
 hear ; for instead of improving their natural gifts 
 they will often lose them. However, I do not mean 
 to exclude imitation, because by imitating the per- 
 fect in music, using sane judgment and modifica- 
 tions suitable to one's own particular talent, one 
 perfects himself. To imitate what the great musi- 
 cians have done and their originals, demands ad- 
 miration on account of the difficulty in doing it." 
 
 Proper attention to the accomplishment of cor- 
 rect breath control is perhaps the most important 
 thing to be considered by the teacher, as it is the 
 most important accomplishment of the singer. 
 
 The competent voice specialist should know from 
 experience what mental and physical activities 
 are positive factors in this accomplishment, in
 
 182 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 order that desired results should not be unneces- 
 sarily delayed. 
 
 Fears and doubts of students who are not getting 
 along as rapidly as they should, are often allayed 
 by teachers through the assurance that all will 
 be well in time that the pupil must have patience. 
 The pupil is supposed to have confidence in his 
 teacher, and generally puts his trust in him. 
 
 If the teacher is really competent, results should 
 be forthcoming. Progress must be in evidence. 
 This, however, is not always the case, and the 
 astounding part of the situation is that many in- 
 telligent students are so generally deceived for so 
 long a time by incompetent teachers. 
 
 Regarding the most important yet little under- 
 stood factor breath-control the teacher should 
 understand the correct initiative and line of 
 thought and action necessary to bring about the 
 right results, although it is not always necessary or 
 advisable to say anything about the breath or 
 breath-control. 
 
 The lack of knowledge of how to direct the 
 attention of the pupil is the general cause of failure 
 to accomplish.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 183 
 
 For instance, while it may be true that the 
 diaphragm descends during inhalation and ascends 
 during exhalation, it is inadvisable to direct the 
 attention to this fact, for the reason that it almost 
 invariably results in an attempt to regulate the 
 supply and distribution of breath from the dia- 
 phragm. 
 
 This most important muscle of inhalation is 
 thereby seriously hampered in the natural per- 
 formance of its normal functional duty. Instruc- 
 tion to control the breath at the diaphragm is an 
 error which cannot be too severely condemned. 
 
 In holding or expelling the breath, the abdom- 
 inal and intercostal muscles, aided by the air cells 
 in the lungs, represent the power. 
 
 Hence the futility, if nothing worse, of instruc- 
 tion to control the breath at the diaphragm. But 
 further and still more important is the truth, that 
 even though the control of the breath may be scien- 
 tifically explained, and the physical facts con- 
 clusively demonstrated, it is nevertheless a mistake 
 to instruct the pupil to control the breath, even at 
 the place where it is actually controlled; because 
 under the influence of direct and purposeful con-
 
 184 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 trol of the breath we, in fact, induce a condition 
 which precludes the possibility of natural coordina- 
 tion, or of anything like spontaneity or wholesome 
 artistic expression. It cannot be reiterated too 
 often that it is not the physical facts of the phe- 
 nomenon of voice production which the singer has 
 to consider. 
 
 The analysis of physical facts has not- served 
 as a successful basis for the synthetic work in voice 
 production, and the general mistake has been in 
 assuming that the knowledge of facts concerning 
 the actual physical phenomenon during phonation 
 is sufficient reason for attempting to compel these 
 very phenomena. 
 
 In singing, proper coordination results under the 
 natural law of expression. The muscles immedi- 
 ately concerned, in an elastic or favorable con- 
 dition, will finally automatically respond and be- 
 come a part of the desired condition. 
 
 From the physical analysis of the various pos- 
 sible kinds of breathing, we find that there has been 
 in the past, as there is at present, a great deal of 
 difference of opinion as to the kind of breathing 
 which is best for the singer. Ordinary natural
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 185 
 
 breathing differs somewhat from breathing required 
 for singing. Dr. H. Holbrook Curtis points out 
 very clearly the advantage of the kind of breathing 
 which is most useful for singers, and cites the cases 
 of celebrated artists who have used it with such 
 extraordinary success. Among these are the cele- 
 brated tenor Jean de Reszke and the equally cele- 
 brated basso Pol Plan9on. 
 
 It is not splitting hairs over unimportant details 
 to suggest that the condition of the high chest 
 and drawn in abdomen results naturally by stand- 
 ing erect with the shoulders gently thrown back. 
 The best means of acquiring position favorable to 
 pure, beautiful, and expressive tone is the immedi- 
 ate consideration ; and the latter means of acquir- 
 ing the position of high chest and slightly drawn 
 in abdomen is the means which insures physical 
 elasticity rather than the undesirable rigidity. I 
 first studied the methods of breathing used by 
 Jean de Reszke by closely observing him in action 
 during a performance of " Lohengrin " at the 
 Grand Opera House in Paris. This was previous 
 to his debut in America. A few weeks later I 
 conferred with the celebrated Spanish tenor Vig-
 
 186 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 nas, who was filling an engagement at Covent Gar- 
 den, London. I discussed breathing methods with 
 Signor Vignas, and incidentally he sang for me the 
 narrative of " Lohengrin " in exactly the same 
 technical manner that I had observed as the charac- 
 teristic feature of De Reszke's work. I do not refer 
 in any way to the method of teaching of Jean de 
 Reszke, but merely to the actual use of his own 
 voice, which I have always considered to be as 
 nearly perfect as possible. 
 
 Whatever can be done towards clarifying the 
 situation regarding the proper use of the breath 
 will undoubtedly be a boon to the vocal world, and 
 I unhesitatingly subscribe to what is known in 
 medical terms as the inferior costal breathing, as 
 distinguished from abdominal or clavicular or 
 high chest breathing. The protruding abdomen 
 in inspiration is an abomination, and the clavicular 
 breathing, except as an assisting agent, is totally 
 inadequate. 
 
 In the absence of specific instruction, such as 
 " breathe naturally " or " just take a low breath," 
 the tendency may be to breathe abdominally, per- 
 mitting the abdomen to protrude, which distinctly
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 187 
 
 promotes what is commonly known as " forcing the 
 voice." 
 
 The instruction to relax must be used guardedly, 
 as the tendency to flabbiness and lack of correct 
 flexible firmness is almost certain to follow such 
 unqualified instruction. Relaxation must be used 
 as a comparative term, and only to correct the 
 condition of rigidity. 
 
 PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR 
 TEACHERS AND SINGERS 
 
 THE first consideration is, beautiful and expres- 
 sive tone quality in vocalization, or in the delivery 
 of phrases. 
 
 In the attempt to get the tone forward, the 
 larynx is frequently pushed up. Remember that 
 the tone can be forward while the larynx remains 
 in its natural low position. Your throat will feel 
 comfortable if you let it alone. Make no effort 
 at the throat. Sing without thinking of the throat. 
 Registers take care of themselves. Changes of 
 register should occur automatically, and must al- 
 ways be considered, if considered at all, as natural 
 physical consequences of pitch, character of ex- 
 pression, or both.
 
 188 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 The student should practise before a mirror 
 frequently. This will serve to guard against the 
 forming of undesirable habits of facial expression. 
 Unnatural facial distortions in singers are all too 
 common. To be sure, they are largely the result 
 of the wrong thought regarding tone formation, 
 but the use of the mirror is a distinct advantage in 
 vocal training. 
 
 Extending the arms freely at full length to right 
 and left respectively, and not higher than the nor- 
 mal position of the shoulders and slightly in ad- 
 vance of the line on which you stand, is very useful 
 in promoting flexible movements of the body and 
 accomplishing the " lift." Coupled with the right 
 thought, it is an extremely valuable device for the 
 development of buoyant free tone, and bringing 
 about the automatic breath control. 
 
 The singer's position should be erect, shoulders 
 thrown back but not held rigidly. This will result 
 in the favorable condition for singing described as 
 " high chest and abdomen drawn in." Do not 
 confound this with the wilful pulling in of the abdo- 
 men, which is to be distinctly avoided. 
 
 The vowel ah is the most difficult to sing per-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 189 
 
 fectly, on account of the many degrees of tone 
 color possible in its delivery. The free Italian 
 ah is really natural only to the Italian. With 
 singers of other nationalities, it must be acquired. 
 E AY AH AWE OH OO. Sing the vowels 
 at any pitch in the evenly sustained legato mode, 
 sliding one vowel into the next. You will at once 
 appreciate the immense variety in tone color pos- 
 sible in the delivery of ah. Sing the compound 
 vowel i, and cut off the e at the end. You will 
 
 awe oh oo 
 
 then have produced the correct Italian ah. Vocal 
 freedom is the birthright of the Italian. It is 
 due almost entirely to the influence of the Italian 
 language, which is peculiarly free from conso- 
 nantal interference. In passing from one vowel to 
 another, the resonance can and should be retained 
 by attention to evenness of character and tone 
 quality. Keep on the line. Merge each vowel into 
 the next, and think of what is necessary in effect. 
 Loud, blatant singing is never beautiful or ex-
 
 190 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 pressive, and is most inartistic. Sing expressively, 
 within your natural, normal limitation, and you 
 will be rewarded by ever increasing range, power, 
 and beauty of tone quality. Even in the most 
 dramatic utterance there is nothing to be gained 
 by shrieking or forcing the voice. Commence prac- 
 tice with moderate power and without restraint. 
 At first it is not desirable to practise too softly, as 
 the tendency is towards too much restraint, result- 
 ing in pinched tone. " Piano " passages should 
 finally be sung by willing to sing softly, but with 
 absolute freedom just as forte passages are sung 
 by willing to sing with strong forceful utterance. 
 It is not artistically accomplished by attempting to 
 hold back the breath, or by any wilful muscular 
 restraint. It does not involve change of vocal 
 mechanism. Never abuse the voice by straining, 
 either for increased range or power. Remember 
 the conservation of voice possessed is better than 
 restoration of lost voice. The vital energy is 
 aroused by interest and enthusiasm. When one 
 is alive to the subject, and not lackadaisical, much 
 has been gained as to the initiative in singing. In 
 considering open and closed tones, remember that
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 191 
 
 under certain conditions openness is the natural 
 law, and under other conditions closure is the nat- 
 ural law. The old school practically observed this 
 law. It is, of course, impossible to prescribe for 
 others alone by means of printed pages. Demon- 
 strations are necessary to insure results. Many 
 young voices are ruined by reading of different 
 books on the subject of voice culture and experi- 
 menting not being able to judge as to whether 
 the effects produced are good or bad. 
 
 In singing vowels, enunciate correctly, as you 
 would in speech. In singing words, be sure to pro- 
 nounce correctly. Thus good diction is secured. 
 Slighting the consonants, and giving them undue 
 prominence, are alike fatal to good results. When 
 the old Italian masters said, " Apri la bocca," they 
 meant exactly what they said ("Open the mouth "). 
 In explanation, they would say, " La gola dev* 
 essere libera," meaning " The throat must be free." 
 They might also say, " Bisogna aprire la gola," 
 which, being literally interpreted, means, " You 
 must open the throat," but their meaning was ex- 
 planatory of condition only ; that is, " The throat 
 must be open." This is one of the things which
 
 192 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 have not been stated clearly enough, if indeed it 
 has always been understood, by writers of the pres- 
 ent day. There is a distinction and there is a difr 
 ference in the import, as will at once be appreci- 
 ated by every thoughtful observer. " Aperto e 
 chiaro " means " open and clear." This was a fre- 
 quent admonition to students. It refers to voice, 
 and not to throat; to sound, not to mechanism. 
 " CJiiudi la voce e canta piu Ubera " means, " Close 
 the voice and sing more freely." Note the manner 
 in which the student's attention was directed to 
 voice and effect, and the style of singing in this 
 mode of instruction. The old masters never told 
 you what to do nor how to do it, from any learned 
 physiological or anatomical standpoint. In most 
 cases, they did not know about these things them- 
 selves ; and because they did not know, they were 
 free from all possible deterrent influences of this 
 kind. The result was freedom of tone. 
 
 It is interesting and important to observe the 
 real principle as actually practised bu,t not ex- 
 plained by these old masters. At the earliest period 
 of the vocal era, Tosi said : " Let the master attend 
 with great care to the voice of the scholar, which,
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 193 
 
 whether it be * di petto ' or ' di testa,' should always 
 come forth neat and clear, without passing through 
 the nose or being choked in the throat, which are 
 two o'f the most horrible defects in the singer." 
 Garcia says : " No person can ever be a skilful 
 singer without possessing the art of governing res- 
 piration." This statement has caused consider- 
 able confusion resulting from diversity of opinion 
 about the manner of this governing. The art de- 
 pends upon control of poise. The true point of 
 resistance is practically found by focussing the 
 tone forward. Reflex actions then occur. The 
 respiration is found to be controlled, but never 
 directly. Focussing the tone forward is an idea 
 which is generally used with success. The influence 
 is to make the singer concentrate on desired effect. 
 This concentration will bring about satisfactory 
 results in the matter of intensity and evenness of 
 successive tones or phrases. Singing on the level 
 of your tone, or on the line, is another expression 
 which tends to keep the tones of the phrase even 
 and pure. The use of the vowels e and o is 
 particularly useful in bringing about desired focus 
 of tone*
 
 194 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 The true ringing, powerful, and beautiful tone 
 cannot be produced bj squeezing the throat. The 
 thought of flowing voice is most important in cor- 
 recting throat and tongue stiffness. Under this 
 thought, the tongue is mobile and normally ready 
 for articulation. The tip of the tongue during 
 the sustaining of vowels will be found to rest more 
 or less firmly against the lower teeth. Under these 
 conditions the purest tones are possible. If in the 
 consideration of flowing voice we have a physical 
 realization o'f flowing breath, no attention should 
 be paid to the 'fact, so long as the tone is not 
 breathy. This flowing tone is a natural result of 
 right conditions. 
 
 Nasal resonance and nasal tone are two different 
 things. Nasal resonance is important and should 
 characterize what are generally recognized as 
 medium and chest tones as well as head tones. 
 Nasal quality is recognized by sound. It is caused 
 mainly by undue muscular contraction, or incor- 
 rect direction, and is never admissible. It is use- 
 less as a stepping stone to true nasal resonance. 
 If the color of voice remains the same when the 
 nostrils are closed as when open, it is an indication
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 195 
 
 that the voice is being correctly used. The direc- 
 tion of tone is correct and the mechanism is working 
 correctly. 
 
 If in closing the nostrils the sound is impaired, 
 it is a reliable indication that the reverse is true. 
 The smiling mouth spoken of by the old masters 
 was meant by them to be the manifestation of the 
 happy spirit joyousness. When this instruction 
 was reduced to a mechanical principal by the con- 
 sideration that the mouth should be in a smiling 
 position, naturalness of expression was jeopar- 
 dized. Another case of the cart before the horse. 
 The old Italian idea of " impostazione della voce," 
 or placing of the voice, was accomplished by sing- 
 ing forward and focussing the sound. The idea of 
 focussing the voice forward on the line or level, 
 concentrating the attention upon the sound, is of 
 the greatest value in establishing vocal poise. 
 " Going with the tone " is also useful in promoting 
 elasticity. Stand with the arms at the side. Now 
 when beginning the exercise extend the arms to 
 right and left respectively, palms up, as though 
 holding a light object in each hand. See that the 
 arms are extended, palms up, not higher than the
 
 196 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 shoulders, which should not be raised. This move- 
 ment will lift the body from the hips and expand 
 the chest, thus bringing about an ideal body condi- 
 tion for singing. It is one of the most valuable 
 of exercises. 
 
 DO SI 1 1A 1 SOC 
 
 When the pupil is tense and rigid, and the inter- 
 ference is obstinate, bending over from the hips 
 will often be found serviceable in remedying the 
 evil. Sing 
 
 
 no - ah 
 
 As the ah is sung, bend over from hips as 
 in making a low bow. The mechanism of the 
 larynx quickly adjusts itself. The degree of per- 
 fection of the mechanism is judged by the effect 
 produced. The perfection of the mechanism can-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 197 
 
 not be even approximated by directing conscious- 
 ness to the physical process. 
 
 As a rule, the use of the consonant n is ptrefer- 
 able to m in exercises used for the purpose of 
 promoting resonance. 
 
 In singing, see that the neck and head are in a 
 free and loose condition. If the voice is focussed 
 forward as evidenced by pure and beautiful tones, 
 the breath will economize itself. Manage the voice 
 with the ear. Don't manage or try to manage the 
 vocal mechanism. When the muscles in the neck 
 are in evidence during song, it is a positive indi- 
 cation that the tone is not well produced. When 
 the corners of the mouth are drawn back, the tone 
 will become hard and strident. Mouth or facial 
 muscles should not be rigid or set. Never smile 
 artificially. The smiling countenance representing 
 joyousness must be a natural result of happy 
 thought. It is spiritual in its origin. 
 
 In general, the singing voice of the Italian is 
 characterized as open or closed. " Piu aperto " 
 or " Piu chiuso " represent their preference. The 
 consensus of opinion, however, is that " Chi Canta, 
 Chiuso Canta died anni di piu " (He who sings
 
 198 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 closed sings ten years longer). The import is that 
 the use of the voice well focussed forward is more 
 conducive to its long life. 
 
 Students should realize the importance of doing 
 small things well. If this is attended to, the big 
 things will take care of themselves. Always sing 
 exercises with strict attention to tone quality. In 
 regard to all graded exercises so-called methods 
 always remember that the important considera- 
 tion is not what you sing, but how you sing it. 
 
 Forcing the voice is generally the result of either 
 the desire to sing too loudly or with too big a tone, 
 or of attempting to locally adjust the vocal mech- 
 anism; in short, singing with the throat instead 
 of through the throat. 
 
 The natural position of the voice in effect, un- 
 hampered by rigidity of the body and sympathetic 
 rigidity of the throat, is forward in the mouth. 
 Correct forward placing is never forced. 
 
 The word " relaxation '* in vocal art is used 
 comparatively as opposed to " rigidity." Flexible 
 firmness the result of vitalized mental or emo- 
 tional energy is the ideal condition. The cause of 
 stiffness is generally the attempt to produce voice
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 199 
 
 in a mechanical or artificial way, or the effect of 
 such previous attempts habit. 
 
 Vitalizing the mind and body and directing the 
 will power towards producing idealized sound in- 
 stead of towards governing the physical process, 
 is the best means of promoting vocal freedom. 
 
 The thought of purposely producing " the stroke 
 of the glottis " is abominable ! The mind should 
 never be directed to that end. What is (described 
 a>s " the stroke of the glottis " is purely resultant. 
 The glottis takes care of its functional process 
 without suggestion. 
 
 The necessary muscular tension for artistic tone 
 is a natural result of correctly idealized tone, fol- 
 lowed by the spontaneous effort in its production. 
 
 The swelling and diminishing of a tone " messa 
 di voce " should be brought about by a strictly 
 mental process, willing the result in effect, without 
 any attention whatever being paid to the breath. 
 
 As a principle, the idea of first localizing the 
 effort instead of willing the end in view is erroneous, 
 alike for beginners and advanced students. It is 
 not only entirely unnecessary, but is absolutely 
 prrnicious in doctrine. If you think local effort,
 
 200 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 the habit thus formed will be difficult to break. 
 What is generally understood by the profession 
 as the correct placing of the voice should occur 
 spontaneously, and will always be recognized. It 
 is part of the singer's sensation, but there should be 
 no thought of purposeful placing of the voice The 
 thought of directing the voice forward and focus- 
 sing the tones forward is much more useful, and 
 avoids the tendency toward stiffness of the body. 
 
 THE USE OF VOCAL EXERCISES 
 
 The first object of vocal exercise is to strengthen 
 voice muscles and make them pliable and elastic. 
 Exercises should accomplish their object in due 
 course of time, providing that the mental attitude 
 regarding this development is favorable. 
 
 The moment development of tones which are not 
 in use during speech, but which are required in 
 song, commences, the question of how to do it con- 
 fronts the singer. The acquiring of skill in singing 
 is handicapped most seriously and most generally 
 by just one thing, which has been reiterated in 
 these chapters, i.e., the idea of the possibility of 
 mechanical vocal adjustment a thing which is for-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 201 
 
 eign to the art of self-expression, and foreign to 
 the natural law of physical development as 
 applied to musical expression. The physical obey- 
 ing the mental indirectly, as applied to the art of 
 self-expression, must not be confused with the 
 established fact that the physical obeys the mental 
 in a direct material way if it is so desired. 
 
 The fiat of will directed towards direct purpose- 
 ful guidance may be applied, and certain mechani- 
 cal results can be obtained. This very possibility 
 has been the cause of the persistent failure to 
 comprehend the deeper truth that the muscles obey 
 the fiat of will to express human emotions without 
 direct conscious guidance or surveillance. The 
 danger of the will being used to develop the muscles 
 in a purely mechanical way is, that the abnormal 
 development of muscles, not only useless as an 
 assisting agent, but positively detrimental to 
 effects desired, is more than likely to occur. It is 
 the same sort of danger which threatens the success 
 of an athlete who may become muscle-bound 
 through persistent effort in the wrong direction. 
 The training of the muscular system for the physi- 
 cal requirements of singing calls for the most ex-
 
 802 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 pert knowledge and skill on the part of vocal 
 teachers, and perhaps nowhere is a greater misap- 
 prehension of the requirements in training more in 
 evidence than in the use of the vocal exercises. 
 The mind must be kept steadfastly on the goal of 
 effect. 
 
 Go into any large studio building and listen to 
 the more than meaningless, the heartrending, al- 
 most inhuman sounds emanating from the throats 
 of many students during their lessons. What a 
 pitiful story is told in their plaintive efforts to find 
 the way, and what a colossal monument stands, not 
 mutely, to the benighted views of the day concern- 
 ing voice-training, current among the hundreds of 
 teachers who are the real perpetrators of the 
 living outrage ! 
 
 Witness among the vast number of students the 
 seeming prostitution of their divine right to the 
 exercise of just a modicum of common sense in the 
 matter. The students sing their exercises or 
 fancy that they sing them, but in the absence of 
 any thought of intelligent or natural expression 
 during the supposed singing, they are actually 
 uttering sounds which could be more properly char-
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 203 
 
 acterized as cat-calls, shrieks and howls, grunts 
 and groans, which might be expected to be heard 
 only in the corridors of an insane asylum. 
 
 Tell the operating surgeon the vocal teacher 
 or the willing patient victim the pupil of your 
 impression, and you will be patronizingly told that 
 all this is necessary to the placing of the voice. 
 Yes, they are getting their voices placed in a posi- 
 tion where it is incapable of expressive utterance 
 either in truly powerful and intense mode or in the 
 nuance of delicate shading. 
 
 Is useless, superfluous vocal effort which so often 
 brings disastrous results to remain a lasting omni- 
 present heritage of deeply planted error? 
 
 It is to be hoped not. 
 
 The saving value of knowledge of the truth re- 
 garding fundamental principles would right mat- 
 ters to a very considerable degree, and eventually 
 bring about universal vocal freedom. Properly 
 graded preliminary work, and the more advanced 
 studies combining the vocal and consonantal exer- 
 cises, elements of musical diction or practical sing- 
 ing, properly applied with the correct mental atti- 
 tude, would speedily rectify the most destructive
 
 204 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 evil of the dominating mechanical idea now in gen- 
 eral use. 
 
 The following exercises are presented as a con- 
 densed progressive method and comprise the im- 
 portant vocal movements for developing poise, 
 power, and agility. The devices are suggested as 
 a means for overcoming special vocal defects which 
 may have been previously acquired by singers, as 
 well as for beginners. 
 
 The pitch as indicated is not arbitrary, and may 
 be changed to suit the requirements of individual 
 voices. 
 
 The principal devices recommended are, first, 
 the physical " lift " which is best accomplished by 
 standing erect and gently stretching the body up- 
 ward from the hips. The condition of elasticity as 
 opposed to rigidity is imperative hence the up- 
 ward stretch of the body should not be overdone. 
 This activity is conducive to a condition of flexible 
 firmness of the immediate physical parts involved 
 in tone production, rather than a condition of 
 relaxation. 
 
 The necessary tonicity of the voice can never be 
 established while the muscular system is relaxed.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 205 
 
 The second device is not physical. It is the sing- 
 ing on an imaginary line. This device is one which 
 was used by many of the Italian masters of my stu- 
 dent days in Italy, and which was used by the old 
 Italian masters who taught these singers and 
 teachers. It was handed down by word of mouth 
 and by precept and example but I have never 
 found a lucid explanation of the idea in print. In 
 my opinion it is the most effective thought ever ad- 
 vanced by the representatives of old Italian schools 
 for promoting ideal conditions. I believe it to be 
 one of the great secrets of the successful training 
 of singers in the art of *' bel canto." 
 
 The following diagram represents the idea, 
 which may be easily understood. The vertical line 
 
 represents the notes of the music. The horizontal 
 lines represent the imaginary line of singing, which
 
 206 
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 is at the height of the forehead and at any distance 
 whatever from the singer. The thought of the 
 line of common level of all tones should be carried 
 out in singing exercises, including all intervals 
 likewise in the singing of songs. 
 
 In this celebrated phrase in the soprano aria 
 from " Ocean, thou mighty monster," the high B 
 is seldom sung, owing to the extreme difficulty in 
 securing the correct vocal form. The thought of 
 the line is a great aid in this, as in all especially 
 difficult passages of music. 
 
 dann O - ze - an, stellst du ein echreckbild dar. 
 
 r r 5 r t r ttt ' 
 
 (Oberon) 
 
 jfi 
 
 dann O - ze - an, stellst du ein schreckbild dar. 
 
 t* 
 
 Ce - les-te A - i - da 
 
 I=t 
 
 
 
 Er - ger - ti un tro - no vi - ci no al Sol
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 207 
 
 These two phrases in Verdi's Aida present vocal 
 conditions diametrically opposed to each other 
 one the ascending, the other the descending scale. 
 
 In both cases lift to the level and sing on the 
 line from the beginning to the end of the phrase. 
 
 When the student first begins to sing correctly, 
 he often experiences certain physical sensations 
 incidental to change of pitch, especially in singing 
 exercises and phrases containing notes separated 
 by wide intervals. The student, however, should 
 not allow his attention to be diverted by this mani- 
 festation of physical activity of the inner throat, 
 but should be steadfast in his purpose to sing beau- 
 tifully and evenly. Such physical changes are 
 normal and natural and are necessarily attendant 
 upon tone delivery. They should be allowed to 
 occur. This is why teachers of understanding warn 
 you not to hold the larynx. 
 
 The physical phenomena may include changes in 
 the length, breadth, thickness, or plane of the 
 cords. These may vibrate partially or fully. The 
 amplitude or rapidity of vibrations may differ, and 
 the various conditions may offer a scientific expla- 
 nation of the physical phenomena, but are not for
 
 SOS THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 the student's immediate consideration. Sing all 
 tones for high, medium, and low notes on the imag- 
 inary line. The tones of the extreme high notes 
 will seem to vibrate at the forehead, nose, and roof 
 off the mouth. This character of head resonance 
 will be retained to some extent in the tones of 
 medium and low notes. These things become mat- 
 ters of observation and are thrust upon the con- 
 sciousness. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 IN ortfer that the singer shall be vocally well 
 equipped, the voice must respond to every pitch 
 desired, as also to quality, quantity, and color, 
 within its natural limitations. These limitations 
 are by no means fixed, except temporarily, for the 
 voice is like a growing plant. Its growth and de- 
 velopment depend upon the manner of its treat- 
 ment. We shall proceed upon the assumption that 
 the voice will gradually take on its natural habili- 
 ments in response to mental conception of effect 
 desired and without recourse to any mechanical 
 adjustment foreign to natural expression. 
 
 Stand erect and easily, throwing the weight of
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 209 
 
 the body forward, the shoulders well back, the chest 
 up. See that you are not in any way perturbed, 
 and that you are not rigid. Be calm. Now, with- 
 out any thought of taking breath or controlling 
 breath in any way, sing the exercises, listening to 
 your own voice carefully as you sing, and note the 
 effect. Sing with the idea of producing sounds of 
 equal volume and characteristically the same in 
 quality. In short, sing evenly. Do not pinch or 
 pull in an effort to adjust the position of the tones, 
 and on no account attempt to locally control the 
 breath. Forget it. Remember that breath control 
 is automatic and develops without thought. Sing 
 with the idea of expressing some idea. The mental 
 attitude has everything to do with the result. 
 First, sing the exercises mezzo forte, and idealize 
 the stating of any fact. This we will call the narra- 
 tive character, and the narrative character is not 
 necessarily emotional. Avoid the emotional for 
 the present, but sing with living interest. Sing 
 directly forward, as in earnest speech. 'Sing on 
 the line. Whatever the interval to be sung, sing 
 on the line. Never give any thought to change of 
 registers. Registers change automatically, unless
 
 210 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 there is a condition of rigidity, causing interfer- 
 ence with normal, natural vocal action. In such 
 cases the remedy is mental energy. Use the will- 
 power to arouse the vital force to produce the musi- 
 cal result and not to locally adjust the mechanism. 
 
 The idea of commencing vocal work by holding 
 the head and jaw immovable is erroneous. It pro- 
 motes rigidity. Move them both freely, just to 
 prove that the thing is entirely possible. You will 
 find that true repose must be the kind that permits 
 you to move freely without upsetting the normal 
 vocal poise. If you don't believe in such things, try 
 it, and you will commence to feel like a free agent, 
 instead of a vocal slave perhaps for the first time 
 in your life. 
 
 Before commencing the exercises, one word more 
 about singing on the line, that its meaning may be 
 perfectly clear : This one idea is indeed " Muttum 
 In parvum " (Much in little). If you sing on the 
 line, you avoid the necessity of thinking a number 
 of things at the same time, which is generally 
 difficult and confusing. % 
 
 The mental attitude is this: I want even tones, 
 alike in quality anil quantity, so that the exercise
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 211 
 
 will run smoothly in legato style. Now all that is 
 necessary is to sing as though speaking earnestly, 
 keeping the actual delivery of each note on a men- 
 
 tally conceived line on a level with the forehead, 
 which is represented in the diagram. Make no 
 attempt to adjust the throat or control the breath.
 
 212 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 Neither repress nor press. Let the mentally con- 
 ceived tone pour forward. Instead of singing up 
 and down, sing mentally on a level or line. 
 
 By this mental conception as a guide, the actual 
 firmness of tone combined with flexibility of the 
 parts so much desired, will commence to develop. 
 Pay no attention to the throat. Do not hold it 
 firmly or otherwise. Forget it. True resonance will 
 then commence to be in evidence. 
 
 This may result in a consciousness of a gentle 
 rising and falling of the larynx. If so, do not 
 attempt to control it. Keep your mind on evenness 
 of effect. The consciousness of this physical activ- 
 ity may be thrust upon the singer at first, but should 
 be allowed to take care of itself. 
 
 Ex. 
 
 mf 
 
 (In singing "ah," sing as " I," eliminating the final e.) 
 
 ee ay oh oo ah 
 Sing without crescendo or diminuendo. 
 
 Ex.2. 
 
 is: *5 -& Sing the sound of 
 
 hoong oh ah "hoong" as in hook, 
 
 hoong ee ah not ^ m hoot.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 213 
 
 Ex.3. 
 
 ee a ah 
 (as in day) (as I) 
 
 oo oh ah me you ah 
 
 Ex.4. 
 
 ift h 
 
 * 
 
 m 
 
 9 
 
 -j | 
 
 
 no 
 lo 
 
 nay 
 lay 
 
 noo 
 loo 
 
 nee 
 lee 
 
 nah Articulate well, 
 lah 
 
 Ex.5. 
 
 (And the various vowels at discretion) 
 Sing in different keys. 
 
 i m 
 
 * 
 
 ah- 
 Ex.6. 
 
 J k 
 
 In starting the first note of this exercise, stretch cr lift the 
 lower ribs quietly from the base of the spine. The octave C 
 will be found to adjust itself. In going to the D h avoid cramp- 
 ing the throat. Let the tone flow forward. Then in descending 
 to the Dfc below continue lifting. Finish the exercise keeping 
 the last note on the line. This is difficult to express by means 
 of cold type, but when understood it is one of the most valua- 
 ble exercises in voice training.
 
 214 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 Ex.7. 
 
 In singing this or any descending scale think each de- 
 scending note higher than the note preceding.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 215 
 
 Ex. 10. 
 
 
 ah 
 
 Ex. 11. 
 
 e^E^3 
 
 m 
 
 ah- 
 
 NOTE. ^Always sing ah as I eliminating the final e. 
 Ex. 12. 
 
 ah ha ha ha ha 
 
 A A 
 
 f ! 
 
 s 
 
 fc2 
 
 Ya ha ah 
 
 ah ha ha ha ha 
 
 ?=ff= 
 
 Yah ha ha ha ha ha ha
 
 216 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 Ex. 13. 
 
 m 
 
 Ah- 
 
 Sing with legato and staccato modes. 
 
 Accent, but do not especially aspirate the " ha." 
 
 ah (as I) 
 
 Also practise this exercise in staccato mode. 
 Ex. 14. 
 
 ;B 
 
 Ex. 15. 

 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 217 
 
 Ex. 16. 
 
 m 
 
 -*- 
 
 ah- 
 
 Firet, sing slowly in pure legato mode, then sing more 
 rapidly. 
 
 Ex. 17. 
 
 In these two exercises sing the first triplet slowly, then 
 gradually accelerate the tempo. 
 
 In the descending exercise lift as it descends. 
 
 EXERCISES FOR THE TRILL. 
 
 Trilling is an easy accomplishment for some voices, but for 
 others it is extremely difficult. The trill, however, with pa- 
 tience and perseverance, can be acquired by all. 
 
 Ex. 18. 
 
 m 
 
 
 ^H-Ff^f 
 
 ah 
 ee- 
 
 oh- 
 
 A A A A A A 
 
 TTg ETcT&rte-^-F 
 
 ah 
 
 ee- 
 
 oh-
 
 218 
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 A A A 
 
 -*- 
 
 ah 
 
 t. L t. if 
 
 
 
 gX 
 
 -u^-u^-u-u^ 
 
 ah- 
 
 A A A A 
 
 t=* 
 
 ah- 
 
 J^E* 
 
 -^ ^- 
 
 -*=-*- 
 
 i i I I igfc=igt 
 
 ah- 
 
 Sing the grace notes with a short snappy effect, breaking 
 from each grace note into the note following with a sharp 
 accent. 
 
 Ex.19. 
 
 The " Messa di Voce." 
 
 In practising these exercises do not sing FF.
 
 THE LOST VOCAL ART 
 
 219 
 
 Ex.20. 
 
 Commencing with the most delicate sound possible, swell 
 the tone to forte and diminish. First crescendo and dimin- 
 uendo rapidly, then gradually .more and more slowly. Final- 
 ly carry out the extreme perdendosi letting the sound die 
 away to a whisper. 
 
 Chromatic scale, ascending and descending.
 
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